St. Joseph's Orphanage

The Sisters' care for children began in 1872 when four small children were left one day "homeless and alone" at the infirmary.The Sisters made room for the children, beginning a service which eventually led to the building of not one, but two orphanges. Initially living alongside the Sisters, as the number of children began to grow, it became increasingly difficult to accomodate them in Santa Rosa.

Mother St. Pierre purchased a piece of property on Houston Street, and began construction of a two-story stone building to be called St. Joseph's Orphanage. The orphange was completed and ready for occupancy in September of 1874.

Things didn't remain this way for long. The following year, it was decided that the location of the orphanage should be exchanged with that of the infirmary. Santa Rosa's position on the very busy Military Plaza had become unsuitable for recovering patients. In the summer of 1875, the sisters moved all the sick from Santa Rosa to the stone building that had been erected as the orphanage, and the Houston Street location became the permanent site of the hospital.