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Dayton Memories > St. Joseph Children's Home
St. Joseph Children's Home
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RIVERDALE RAT
592 posts
Jun 17, 2014
6:48 PM
I was reading a post from one of our knowledgeable contributors and the topic of St. Joseph children's home came up. Does anyone know where this may have been located? We have a thread started for Shawn Acres and I am sure there must be at least some folks on here that has some great stories from their days at St. Joseph. It would be great to hear from any former residents, employees or anyone that has a St. Joseph story.
luv my dayton
620 posts
Jun 17, 2014
7:03 PM
Riverdale: did a subject search and st Joseph was somewhere on st paul street.Honestly don't remember seeing the place but know people who donated clothing to them and went to their picnics.
RIVERDALE RAT
593 posts
Jun 17, 2014
7:14 PM
OMG..YES, I surely do remember it and it was huge. I am a total goof sometimes, I even knew one old guy that used to do Security there at night, he used to always stop into Frisch's downtown on main street and have his coffee before he caught the bus to work. Someone said that he studied to be a priest but never made it through the seminary, wish I could remember his name!

Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 18, 2014 10:44 AM
RIVERDALE RAT
594 posts
Jun 17, 2014
7:19 PM
I think at one time you could see it off in the distance from Wyoming Ave hill. There should be plenty of stories about that place, hope we get a few.
RIVERDALE RAT
597 posts
Jun 18, 2014
10:42 AM
I think I finally remembered the old night watchman's name as Sam. I remember he used to wear a dark blue uniform cap with no badge or insignia on it, he had rather thick horn rimmed glasses and always carried a black metal lunch pail. Before I actually began conversing with him, I thought he was a taxi driver. He was a hard guy to talk to as he always seemed to want to just be left alone, I recall he told me that the neighborhood kids used to sneak onto the grounds at night and he would have to chase them around.
joey m
213 posts
Jun 18, 2014
12:08 PM
I went to St. James grade school and I remember playing them in CYO football. Most CYO games were played at Kettering Field but I remember playing them at the V.A. Center.GREAT MEMORIES
RIVERDALE RAT
598 posts
Jun 18, 2014
12:49 PM
joey m... If it's the same St. James that I remember, it was a beautiful old school. I hope it survived the wrecking ball, but somehow I doubt it. Thanks also for conjuring up memories of CYO football, I had forgotten all about it.

Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 18, 2014 12:50 PM
historybuff
141 posts
Jun 18, 2014
1:33 PM
RR, I have a story that was related to me, that happened around the late 1980’s-early 1990’s time frame. An individual who used to work for me became head of the maintenance group at St. Josephs Home. He told me one night , he was checking some of the equipment there and he heard loud talking and laughter like someone was having a party. He checked around and found a couple in the swimming pool(sans clothes):) I don’t know whether it was an inside or outside pool. Maybe someone who is familiar with St. Joseph’s would know…..
newsnot
391 posts
Jun 18, 2014
2:15 PM
Sleeper Streets
This is for "sleeper Streets". We will cover extra neat streets in Dayton.My starter is Wroe Between Homewood and 5 Oaks.
RIVERDALE RAT
601 posts
Jun 18, 2014
3:31 PM
historybuff... lol, that is a different story for sure. I hope wherever they were, they were out of sight of the kids, if there were still kids there at that time. Not sure when they closed I was thinking that maybe they may have been a victim of the highway (35) but it seems that I recall something about the highway running behind them and taking just a chunk of their land, But I honestly can't confirm any of that. Good to know they were still standing in the late 1980’s-early 1990’s.
RIVERDALE RAT
602 posts
Jun 18, 2014
5:23 PM
Thanks to Billd1952 posting names of all the bordering streets on another thread, I was able to go right to the correct place. If anyone wants to do the same you can do so by simply Goggling St. Joseph and Demphle streets in Dayton Ohio. This search will land you right at the point of the property; from there you can search down Demphle or down St. Joseph and see most of the old property. There are currently newer looking buildings scattered around on the site and it looks as though St. Joseph may still own the land and are using it for other purposes. If you search down Demphle to St. Paul and take a right you will see a rather large building, continuing on down St. Paul to aprox the 700 area there are entrances to what appears to be treatment centers of some type. At the starting point if you choose to search down St. Joseph ave instead, you will find a guard house at the entrance to a rather large driveway that appears to go far back onto the property and may well be the main entrance. I am happy that the old grounds have been re-purposed, but it makes me even more anxious to discover why the original orphanage/children’s Home closed in the first place..

Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 18, 2014 5:24 PM
FAITH
108 posts
Jun 19, 2014
10:20 AM
My parents rented an apartment from the Dugdale family on St.Paul Ave. when I was a toddler, 1964-66. I still have vivid memories of the sign.
joey m
215 posts
Jun 19, 2014
1:26 PM
RR St James still stands and you can see it if your on I 75 south bound on the right side just before the Nicholas Rd. exit.It was right across the street from WAVI radio.
RIVERDALE RAT
605 posts
Jun 19, 2014
2:16 PM
cilla46…Somehow I missed your post and I apologize. Thank you so much for that link. The story was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed the old photos. That aerial shot is exactly how I remember the place, seeing it from a distance. I wish I would have spent more time visiting and learning about the place, but when I was young I never gave a hoot about things like that. I recommend everyone who is interested go over and take a look at the link that cilla46 provided for us, just copy and paste into your browser/search window.

http://publichistoryreporter.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/the-history-of-st-josephs-orphanage-18/

FAITH..I wonder if that old sign was salvaged and is being stored somewhere on the grounds, I sure hope it wasn’t destroyed.

joey m… I-75 is a bit far for me these days, I am going to have to rely on a Google trip up Cincinnati Ave a bit later and see if I can spot it. I am pleased to hear that it survived the wrecking ball.

luv my Dayton... It sounds like St. Joseph was once run by a nationwide order, instead of just a local institution. The article that cilla46 provided explained a lot as well. Hopefully we will still hear from some former residents/employees with some stories from the good old days.
cilla46
201 posts
Jun 19, 2014
5:21 PM
RIVERDALE RAT~ No apology needed.

St. Joseph's was a big part of my childhood being an east end kid.It was someplace that was an established part of the area and kind of a mystery to us as youngsters.We did love the picnic every summer.
RIVERDALE RAT
609 posts
Jun 19, 2014
8:11 PM
cilla46…somehow and for some reason, I can’t recall ever having gone to their picnics. I think I recall seeing them advertised on church bulletins, but somehow never attended.I remember as a child how the mystique used to surround places like that and there was always some whacked out story about weird things going on and how somebody knew somebody’s cousin that ventured in there and was never heard from again. I guess I escaped the uncontrollable urge to go exploring because I never really lived that close to the place. Looks like there were a lot of good people there who dedicated a large portion of their adult lives making things better for kids..

Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 19, 2014 8:12 PM
joanofthe60s
3 posts
Jul 13, 2014
10:35 AM
I recall the picnics, they were actually more like festivals and everyone had a wonderful time. Food, prizes, games and more food is what I remember. The Sisters worked very hard and everyone always pitched in to help wherever they were needed. I'm afraid I don't know much about the home itself, I was never past the grounds. Strange that nobody on here seems to remember or know much about the home.
RIVERDALE RAT
687 posts
Jul 15, 2014
11:32 AM
I know, the postings abound about Shawn Acres, but for some reason the stories about St. Josephs are hidden away in the annals of time. I keep thinking that some former resident or employee will surface any day now with stories of the inner workings of St. Joseph. I would also like to remember someone that remembers the old guy that used to be the night watchman over there.
dhoertt
28 posts
Jul 15, 2014
12:09 PM
I have a photo of the Orphan's Picnic in progress. Tried to post it here but apparently that is not possible. Photo shows Ferris Wheel, chuck-a luck, etc. I grew up across the street on St.Joseph's Avenue. The chairman for 30 or more years was Al Berberich who lived on the corner of St. Paul and Demphle. "All For The Orphan's" was shouted all day long at the picnic over the P/A on the last Sunday of June each year. Anyone who wants a copy of the photo can contact barlaine@aol.com. Also I remember that the orphanage was used as an overflow school for St. Anthony's on Creighton for two years, 1956 and 1957, using St. Joe's for the 6th grade.

Last Edited by dhoertt on Jul 15, 2014 12:12 PM
rdebross
116 posts
Jul 15, 2014
3:11 PM
The grounds of St. Joseph Orphange were largely unbuilt during the 1950's. It was fenced on three sides (not St. Paul Ave. though). The gate on St. Joseph Ave. closest to the alley that marked the north border was usually open. Kids from nearby neighborhoods often used the grounds as a park. I remember playing softball on a diamond and the campus had enough open space in the Picnic area for kite flying in the spring. The sloping hill on the northwest side was good for winter sledding. There was a log cabin style shelter house with a fireplace in the heavily wooded area to the east. The northeast area had a screened-in basketball field house I never saw used for anything except for serving chicken dinners during the Picnic fundraiser. Around the fieldhouse and to the north and east was a superb parl-like wooded area. That "forest" supplied my leaf collection for high school biology class. I'm nearly 70 years old, but can still identify many tree species from what I learned in that exercise. I also remember unexpectedly coming upon one of the St. Anthony School overflow classrooms that dhoertt mentioned. I went to St. Mary School and we typically had a day or two off St. Anthony did not. On one of these special days, I was playing with a group of friends on the grounds. When I got thirsty, I headed for a drinking fountain attached to one of the older buildings on the campus. As I approached the fountain, I suddenly realized that I was looking through open windows at a classroom full of kids and one nun. All of them were looking at me. Embarrassed, I faded away. I recently took a look at the Orphanage grounds on Google Earth. Looks totally built-up with little trace of the former layout.

Last Edited by rdebross on Jul 15, 2014 3:13 PM
rdebross
117 posts
Jul 15, 2014
3:34 PM
Like cilla46 writes, St. Joseph Orphanage was a bit of a mystery to neighborhood kids during the 50's and thereabouts. I know it was staffed by the Sisters of the Precious Blood, the same Catholic nuns who taught at St. Mary School on Xenia Ave. A two or three story new wing was built in the mid-50's and I remember touring it during an open house but I don't remember much about the interior. I don't believe that many "true" orphans were in residence during that time. Most residents were neglected or abandoned children; I assume many if not most were from Catholic homes. The residents did not mix into the nearby neighborhood. I think they had their own recreational facilities and were probably confined to the campus. I played on the grounds quite often, but never saw any kids. I think that the residents attended St. Anthony School because the pastor at St. Mary didn't want the problems associated with kids from an "institution."
joanofthe60s
10 posts
Jul 15, 2014
9:36 PM
rdebross, those are all excellent memories of the place and thank you for sharing them. Just like you, I only remember the grounds but I can't recall ever being inside even once. You are way ahead of me on things that you remember just from the grounds alone. It seems like I remember being told that there were a bunch of orphans there from either the war or maybe the great influenza epidemic that killed so many people. I honestly cant recall.
RIVERDALE RAT
689 posts
Jul 16, 2014
7:56 AM
rdebross...I agree with joan, that was a lot of good information and I learned several things from it. Sometimes that is how we have to unravel mysteries, by piecing together things like a puzzle. I think the residents being confined to the campus was one of the things that gave the place its mystique. I am sure it's little more than wanting to keep the kids away from the mischief and devilment that they could so easily get into by hanging out with outsiders. Sometimes Kids could also be very mean to other kids that lived in group home settings, this way they were better sheltered from name calling or being made to feel 'different' from other kids during their formative years.
RIVERDALE RAT
690 posts
Jul 16, 2014
8:02 AM
dhoertt...Thanks, I will be sending an email to that address, I would love to see the picture. I Never knew that they helped St. Anthony's with their overflow problems either. There were so many kids in Catholic schools back in those days, nowadays they are struggling to keep 2-3 schools per city open.
joanofthe60s
14 posts
Jul 18, 2014
12:17 PM
"Due to the decrease in population by 1967 at the orphanage, the St. Joseph Orphanage Society decided to focus its intention and mission on children with emotional problems. By 1981, St. Joseph transitioned from a Catholic orphanage to a non-denominational treatment center for children"

"During 2004, St. Joseph closed and currently operates as The Glen at St. Joseph. The Glen offers single mothers and their children a “safe, positive place to live.”

I found this on a website that I located. I know it still doesn't answer any questions about life as it once was at the old orphanage and it doesn't satisfy our quest to hear from former residents or employees, but it does provide some interesting facts and a few great pictures from days gone by. I hope someone will enjoy it as much as I did.


http://publichistoryreporter.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/the-history-of-st-josephs-orphanage-18/

Last Edited by joanofthe60s on Jul 18, 2014 12:19 PM
RIVERDALE RAT
692 posts
Jul 18, 2014
7:07 PM
joanofthe60s...This is an informative link, love the photo of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Hopefully we will unravel the mysteries of the old orphanage a little at a time like we often do on so many topics around here. We have a pretty good start right now.
joanofthe60s
21 posts
Jul 21, 2014
11:13 AM
Rat, links and stories from the old days are a bit scarce. Their is plenty of current day links for the center as it operates today, but the vintage stuff is a bit more difficult. I miss being in Dayton and being able to go to the old library and research things. I remember how all of the old newspapers used to be on microfiches.
historybuff
195 posts
Jul 24, 2014
9:48 PM
I have a story of the St. Joseph orphanage that I believe to be authentic and happened to an in-law of mine. It happened to my father-in-law, (now deceased for many years), when he was young and committed to the orphanage at a young age. Not because he was an orphan, but due to unfortunate family circumstances. The family was of German descent and Catholic of course. One day he was accused of pilfering a piece of chocolate cake between meals and the sisters forced him to put his arms in ice-cold brine water for a long period of time. One of his arms suffered permanent nerve damage and was not totally usable. I’m sure it might have happened that way as that was what he remembered. I wonder if anyone remembers that kind of treatment by the sisters at the orphanage, although it’s been many, many years ago.
joanofthe60s
34 posts
Jul 24, 2014
10:15 PM
historybuff, although I love and respect the sisters, I have known some mean spirited ones. I don't have any problem believing that occurred. Of course today something like that would never occur without serious repercussions. I'm sure that the punishment probably wasn't intended to be that severe. Although stories from inside seem to be extremely difficult to come by, I think yours may be the first and thank you for sharing it.
RIVERDALE RAT
717 posts
Jul 25, 2014
10:15 AM
historybuff... I find that story to be interesting as well. As joanofthe60s stated above, stories from former residents and employees have up to this point been non-existent. Strange how there are so many stories/memories of Shawn Acres everywhere and so few for this place. Thanks for sharing.
historybuff
197 posts
Jul 25, 2014
11:57 AM
The St. Joseph thread bought that story back to mind of that family's experience. The individual went on to become a responsible adult and did not let that experience embitter him. Eventually he was able to leave St. Josephs and joined the military just before the end of World War II. His injury was not serious enough to prevent his enlistment in the military. He later on had a family, started a business as an East Dayton Bar owner and led a successful life. An indication that sometimes one can overcome tribulations in life……..
joanofthe60s
36 posts
Jul 26, 2014
2:42 PM
Searching Sisters of the Precious blood, I see they are also involved in a large facility out on the old Salem Pike. I don't think this associated with St. Josephs though. Does anyone know about this?
Billd1952
231 posts
Jul 26, 2014
3:56 PM
joanofthe60s, that would be Maria-Joeseph. They a have nursing home, rehab facility as well as assisted living there. Presious Blood Church and School are across Salem Ave.
joanofthe60s
37 posts
Jul 26, 2014
5:19 PM
Billd1952, Thank you, can't believe I didn't know about that. We never made it out that way much I guess. it looks like the Sisters of the Precious Blood were a very large and active order. Somehow life seemed so simple back then.
historybuff
199 posts
Jul 27, 2014
7:52 AM
Joan, I think the way things are now are nowhere near what they were back then. I really think they thought they were doing the right thing. We probably have become more compassionate in our thinking now, but they probably were more compassionate compared to the middle ages…..
joanofthe60s
39 posts
Jul 27, 2014
10:03 AM
historybuff, I agree with the non-controversial subjects policy, although documented history in and of itself is sometimes controversial I would have to agree that the historical value of this site and the live conversations of the people who experienced the historical events is best served if we keep things light hearted.

I'm sure almost everyone who ever attended a parochial or public school back in those days has at least one memory of a teacher (sister or otherwise) who was a bit heavy handed with the paddle or the wooden ruler. As you stated, times have changed and attitudes regarding child discipline in schools and even in the home have changed significantly. I agree that most every Sister who ever had to deal with an unruly child probably done what she thought was best at the time.
danno
1 post
Aug 26, 2014
4:34 PM
The Glen has a great history cabinet on display about the history of St Josephs orphanage. The Glen also hosted a St Joseph orphanage reunion for former orphans about 3-4 years ago, about 6 or 7 elderly gentlemen were there at the time I was there. I would have loved to have sat down and really listened to their stories but I was on the clock at work and running really late that day.

I also remember when it was a inpatient treatment center for juveniles. I can recall a couple times when a resident would run away from the campus and the staff would be in the neighborhood looking for them.

If I recall correctly the DDN ran a great article on the closing of the inpatient facility. The cost' were just extremely high per resident. The reason being the juveniles treated at the facility were considered to have extraordinarily extreme emotional issues which required extensive treatment.

Of course now it is The Glen which has on order of sisters there also, which order I cannot recall off the top of my head. The Glen provides residential services for single mothers who need help and guidance. It is supported solely by the Mathile family I believe. Very, very nice campus and extremely friendly staff.
joanofthe60s
42 posts
Oct 23, 2014
2:46 PM
danno, thank you for all of that information. It seems a shame that they no longer do inpatient there, what a change that is from the days when hundreds of children lived there for years. I sure wish we could find some of the nice people who grew up inside of the old orphanage, I imagine they have some fun tales to tell about their life experiences there with the sisters.


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