- Marquette County -

Holy Family Orphans' Home

The Holy Family Orphans' Home was incorporated October 26, 1915, under Act No. 171, P. A. 1903, "to receive, maintain and provide for orphans, half-orphans and neglected children of both sexes, and to procure for such children suitable homes by indenture, adoption or otherwise; also to receive children of both sexes as boarders." Because of his experience in designing similar institutions William E. Reynolds, of Green Bay, WI., was chosen as the architect and, in 1914, Hegner Construction Co. began work on the five-story structure to be situated on the northeast corner of eight acres of land donated by George J. Maas, of Negaunee, and Joseph Pinton, of Hancock. The Marquette Chronicle described it as a "sightly location on one of the highest points within the City." Hegner Construction Co. of Appleton, Wisconsin, was awarded the construction contract with its final bid of $75,400. The figure had to be revised when it was decided the structure should be fireproof. The building was dedicated and occupied on October 10, 1915; the total cost being a little more than $120,000. Upon opening sixty Native American children were transferred from from St. Joseph's at Assinins in Baraga county. By 1922 Holy Family was housing 153 children and, in that year, it was enlarged with a rear addition.

From 1960 to 1962 over 14,000 Cuban children arrived in the United States, unaccompanied by their parents, in what would late become known as "Operation Pedro Pan." The children were initially placed in temporary shelters in Miami and later, as the Miami camps became overcrowded, relocated throughout 30 states. Holy Family Orphans' Home would become home to some of these children.

Holy Family closed its doors as an orphanage in 1965 when the last child left. The building was used as office space until 1981 or '82 when it was abandoned. Over thirty years of harsh Marquette winters, and lack of any maintenance, left the once stately structure in a sad state of disrepair. In June, 2016, the place got a new lease on life when Community Action Alger-Marquette, in partnership with Home Renewal Systems, LLC, closed on the purchase of the former orphans' home at 600 Altamont street, with plans to convert it to a 56-unit low income apartment complex. August 17, 2016 was groundbreaking day to begin the project, slated to cost more than $15 million, into living quarters. The cost also includes preserving history by restoring the chapel.

On October 5, 2015, Holy Family Orphange was listed on the National Register of Historic Places