St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum and Laboure Hall
The St. Vincent Female Orphan Asylum was established in 1848, and incorporated in 1849, in response to the cholera outbreak and the work of Bishop John Timon. Although the city already had orphanages, they were under Protestant auspices, neglecting the spiritual and religious needs of Catholic children. It was under the management of the Roman Catholic Order of the Sisters of Charity of the Sisters of Vincent de Paul.
The first location was a rented residence adjoining St. Patrick's Church. The residence was at the corner of Broadway and Ellicott Streets , the present site of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. The Home housed children of both sexes. As the need grew to serve destitute children from the fatalities of the Cholera Epidemics of 1849, 1851, 1852, and 1854, the church building was remodeled to include the orphanage. The Asylum also rented a farmhouse at 60 Hedley Road to accommodate an overflow of orphans until the 1880s. The operation continued at this location until 1886 due to a donation from George L. Squier. Mr. Squier donated his original house and property at 1313 Main Street. An addition was built onto the mansion to accommodate the number of children. The new site only accommodated females. The males were transferred to St. Joseph's Male Asylum in what is now part of Baker-Victory Services.
In 1887, the Asylum launched an industrial school pilot program to teach the girls to be self-supporting and the Sisters never went to the public for financial assistance. Although the program was to be temporary, it proved to be successful and became a part of the girl's education. The curriculum included domestic science, fancy and plain sewing, dress making, millinery, and a commercial course. Applicants for the school were between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Most of the students are those from the orphanage who graduated from the grammar school.
During the 1890s, the Asylum had a population of 135 girls. Of these, only thirty-five were committed by the superintendents of the poor from the surrounding counties. Eight were from Erie County, sixteen were from Chemung, Orleans, and Jefferson Counties. Some of the girls admitted were transferred from St. Mary's Infant Asylum. Seventy of the residents were supported entiriely by the institution. Families were encouraged to pay six dollars per month toward their board and education. In the event a family was unable to pay the full board rate, the families were then encouraged to contribute what they could.
A typical day of a resident's life reflected that of a child who was raised in a private home. The day began at 7:00 am, with breakfast, light chores, and school attendance from 8:30 am until 3:15 pm. Lunch and recess were provided throughout the day. Grade school students were schooled at the Asylum and the education followed the Department of Public Education's curriculum. High School age girls attended the local high schools or the Asylum's Industrial School. Children were not dressed in uniforms to assist in expressing her own individuality.
Oftentimes, parents removed their daughter from the Home once she reached working age. For those with no family resources, she remained until the age of eighteen and taught a trade. If needed, a resident would be allowed to remain until her twenty-first birthday. Upon discharge, the resident was then provided with a diploma, a full outfit of clothes, and twenty dollars.
By 1899, the Squier House became so overcrowded, living conditions boarded unsanitary. Girls were being turned away even if a family was unable to provide a moral upbringing. An public appeal was made to erect a new building. The new building would be an "orphanage" to the city, with the promise to be fire proofed with modern conveniences with the ability to accommodate 250 girls. The appeal was a success and a new building was erected on the Ellicott Street side of the property. The Squier House was converted into a permanent industrial school. A large one-story wood frame building was utilized for a kindergarten, and calisthenics, play, and general exercise.
Villa St. Vincents in Youngstown, NY was purchased in 1901 to provide a summer home for the girls.
The new building provided age-segegrated recreation rooms supplied with ample access for putting on plays, participating in games, dancing and musical entertainment. The asylum also had a family dog; an Irish Terrier by the name of Pat. The Squier House then became the site of the industrial school, named St. Vincent's Technical School. The buildings were supplied with city water connected to the sewage system. They were heated with steam and lighted by gas.
St. Vincent's purchased the adjacent property at 1305 Main Street (G. Barrett Rich House) in 1922 and was utilized as a convent for the Sisters.
The final addition to the Asylum occurred in 1935 with the erection of the G. Deed Gymnasium. The gymnasium was a free-standing building on the Riley Street side of the property. A stage was built at one end so the building could double as an auditorium.
By 1936, the Asylum was home for 102 girls from the ages of six to sixteen. The Home continued to be under the operation of the Sisters of Charity and it received assistance from Catholic Charities.
The institution had a slight name change to St. Vincent's Manor in 1948.
As government increased the aid to dependent children and the trend of foster care emerged, the need for the orphanage no longer existed. The orphan asylum closed, but the tradition of assisting dependent females continued with the establishment of Laboure Hall.
Laboure Hall
Laboure Hall was opened in December 1951 at 190 Bryant Street. The original intention of the home was to shelter the most secure homeless girls. The twenty girls who occupied the residence were unable to get along in their homes and local school. Residents, ages fourteen to eighteen, could not be adjudicated as a "delinquent" because this would have compromised the original intentions of the Sisters. These residents attended the local school and worked within the community. The girls had few rules, but these rules were not to be broken. The residents were also expected to assist with the general housekeeping duties to learn the importance of having a clean home. Social Workers often tried to "play up" a girl's characteristics and personal issues to obtain admittance to the home, only to threaten the intentions.
Most girls would reside at Laboure Hall for a period of two years. Each summer, the girls were provided with opportunities to take an out-of-town vacation and they also spent a full month at the beach. The residents raised the funds by selling creative handiwork. Laboure Hall was staffed by four nuns and a social worker
The debate of closure occurred in 1970 due to the rise of referrals with more complex problems than the Sisters were able to accommodate. Catholic Charities also felt the neighborhood was not safe and they focused on may of the unsuccessful circumstances the girls have faced, such has drug use and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Erie County Department of Social Services and Family Court Judges were against the closure of the residence and many residents made pleas to Catholic Charities to keep the home open, fearing for their fate. Opponents of the closure rebuked Catholic Charities claims. They felt the neighborhood was safe and many professionals resided in the area. They also expressed that drugs and teen pregnancy affects all areas and people. In response to the "failures", the opponents tried to show and talk about the success stories.
Despite the controversy, Catholic Charities handed down their final decision to close Laboure Hall in late May of 1971. The Coalition for Action, Unity, and Social Equality (CAUSE) developed a subcommittee called the Citizens Committee to Save Laboure Hall. They requested Catholic Charities to keep the home open until all legal means were exhausted to prevent closure. Laboure Hall closed it doors in December 1971.
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