Masonic Widows and Orphans Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Masonic Widows and Orphans Home
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The Olmstead
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Joseph and Joseph; Olmsted Brothers |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000916 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 2002 |
The Masonic Widows and Orphans Home is a special historic building in Louisville, Kentucky. It's located in the St. Matthews area. This building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It was first built by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. Their goal was to help the wives and children of Master Masons who had passed away. Today, the home welcomes all senior citizens.
Contents
A Look at Its History
The idea for the Masonic Widows' and Orphans' Home started in 1866. People were thinking about how to help families affected by the American Civil War. On November 23, 1866, a group of Louisville Freemasons met. They wanted to create a home for widows and orphans.
In January 1867, the Kentucky General Assembly officially approved the organization. This made Kentucky's Masonic Widows and Orphans Home the oldest Masonic home in North America. It began with $30,000, and more funds were added later.
The first building's cornerstone was placed in 1869. It was in a cornfield in Louisville. The first person moved into the home on April 7, 1871. The building was fully finished in 1873. A strong storm on June 2, 1875, damaged parts of the roof and walls. Luckily, no one was hurt.
Growing and Moving
After World War I and the Spanish influenza outbreak, the home became very crowded. Many children needed a place to live. So, a decision was made to build a much larger home.
The new home would be in Louisville/St. Matthews. It cost $9.4 million to build. Construction started in 1925 on a large 176-acre (0.71 km2) piece of land. Residents moved into the new building on August 15, 1927.
The Courier-Journal, a local newspaper, called it "Little City Beautiful." In 1930, the home had its largest number of orphans, with 632 children living there. The last orphan left the home in 1989. After that, the home focused only on caring for senior citizens.
The Home Today
Most of the buildings built on the campus are still used. The main offices for the Grand Lodge of Kentucky are located there. For a long time, the orphans living at the home were taught on campus. They learned useful skills like farming, printing, and sewing. This helped them prepare for adult life.
The St. Johns Day League Infirmary was a place where sick residents received care. In 1988, the farm operations were sold. This happened because state laws changed, making it difficult to use crops from the farm to feed residents.
Today, the Home welcomes residents who are not related to Masons. In 2009, new construction began on the property. This was for the Kosair Charities Pediatric Day Care Center. The center opened in 2010 as Sproutlings Pediatric Day Care & Preschool.
Another Masonic Home
There was another Masonic orphanage in the Louisville area. It was located across the Ohio River in Port Fulton, Indiana. This area is now part of Jeffersonville. That home also stopped caring for orphans around 1990. The land there is now used for a new Masonic temple. This temple serves local lodges and Order of the Eastern Star chapters.
Images for kids
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Main Gate, off Frankfort Avenue
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Offices of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, on the premises
