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   St. Mary's Home

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Historic Name

St. Mary's Home

Address

607 E 26 ST

Municipality

City of Erie

Tax Parcel

18050064010100

Historic District

 

Classification

Class 3 (Definitions of Classes)

State Key Number

94793

Historic Function

Education - school

Style

Late Gothic Revival

Built

1884

Architect

 

Builder

 

Barn Type on property

 

Last Entry Update

8/8/2016


HISTORY

The Sisters of St. Joseph commissioned the construction of St. Mary’s Home in 1883. The Sisters bought five acres of swampland at East 26th and Ash Streets for five thousand dollars. On September 21st, 1884, St. Mary’s home opened, welcoming fifteen elderly people who had been transferred from St. Vincent’s Hospital. St. Mary’s was one of the first homes in the United States dedicated to caring for the elderly. By 1890, the Sisters realized that they needed to open their doors to more people, prompting them to accept the “friendless and feeble of the Diocese” along with some children from the overcrowded orphanage. In 1890, St. Mary’s added a chapel to their property to help comfort those who were unable to walk to St. John’s Parish, which is one block from St. Mary’s.

In 1906, construction began on an addition that would expand St. Mary’s Home. Upon completion, fifty residents could be accommodated. During this time, the chapel was enlarged. These additions allowed St. Mary’s to grow with the City of Erie’s population boom of the early twentieth century. Unfortunately, in 1927 a disastrous fire destroyed St. Mary’s Home. It took all of the Erie firemen along with others to put out the fire. The fire displaced St. Mary’s residents, who were taken in by family, friends, St. Vincent’s Hospital, the Lutheran Home, and the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Home. After extensive reconstruction, St. Mary’s reopened March 31, 1928. By the following year, over seven hundred residents were living at St. Mary’s, and it was apparent that an addition would have to be built. Bishop John Mark Gannon donated $25,000 donated for the new addition, which was completed in 1930. This created enough space for seventy new residents. More additions followed until 1955 when the sisters, along with Bishop Gannon, commissioned the construction of St. Mary’s Geriatric Hospital, which would serve St. Mary’s residents and the local elderly community. Upon completion, the hospital accommodated 110 beds with 45 private rooms.

Two decades later, St. Mary’s recognized the need to accommodate a larger population. The construction of yet another addition began in 1976 and was completed one year later. The following year, St. Mary’s had reached full occupancy. Over the last forty years, St. Mary’s Home has continued to expand. In 2004, a new campus was constructed in Millcreek, known as St. Mary’s at Asbury Ridge. In 2016, both campuses have continued to serve the elderly population in Erie.

Sources:


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UPDATE

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CURRENT ASSESSMENT PHOTO


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PHOTO FROM 2014 SURVEY

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS

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