In 1849, the St. Joseph Orphan Society was created as a direct response to the Louisville cholera epidemic that left many children parentless. After two downtown locations, St. Joe’s continued to grow and eventually purchased 26 acres on Frankfort Avenue in 1885, putting down roots in the heart of Crescent Hill.

Since 1885, the St. Joe’s staff has served more than 75,000 children in need from the iconic Frankfort Avenue landmark building. This stately, majestic ‘dormitory’ was designed to have a large capacity to serve hundreds of orphaned children at one time. Over the decades, the building has come to symbolize love, hope, and family to the Louisville community. To this day, it remains a beacon of hope for kids and families in need. However, necessary program growth due to the massive increase in demand for services, combined with aging structures that need immediate and extensive overhauls means that the time to renovate is now.

The original structure, which served thousands of children and families, now faces staggering maintenance issues and escalating annual repair costs. The once stoic, three-story building now houses an outdated, behemoth set of internal mechanics, and a 19th century floor plan that no longer supports our 21st century programs.

Our master plan calls for a $23 million renovation of our facilities. This includes renovating our 90,000 square foot main landmark building that serves all three of our programs, renovating our gym, and building a new school for the children in our residential program.

Building Forever Families Donation Form

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