Mother Seton House facts for kids
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Mother Seton House
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Mother Seton House in 2011
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| Location | 600 North Paca Street, Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1808 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001496 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1972 |
The Mother Seton House is a special old home in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It's on the land of St. Mary's Seminary. This house is made of red brick and has two and a half stories. It looks like other small homes built around 1800 for the many French people who lived nearby.
This house became famous because Elizabeth Ann Seton lived there. She was born in America and became the first American woman recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. In the 1960s, people worked hard to make the house look like it did when she lived there. Today, it's a museum. The Mother Seton House is right next to the St. Mary's Seminary Chapel. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical places.
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Who Was Elizabeth Ann Seton?
The Mother Seton House is most famous because Elizabeth Ann Seton lived there. She arrived in Baltimore on June 16, 1808. She stayed in this house until June 21, 1809. So, she lived there for about one year. During that time, she paid $250 in rent.
When Elizabeth Seton first saw the house, she loved it! She wrote a letter to her friend, Julia Scott. In the letter, she called it a "neat, delightful mansion, entirely new." She also said it had a "new French style of folding windows and recesses." Even though she only lived there for a short time, the house became very important to her story.
What Does the House Look Like?
Before the house was built, French immigrants used the land. They mostly farmed tobacco and wheat there. The Mother Seton House was built around 1807. It was built during a time called the Federal Period. We don't know for sure who designed the house. But some people think Maximilian Godefroy might have been the architect. He designed many buildings in that area.
The house's design was inspired by the French people who lived nearby. This style is known as "Federal Architecture." Today, the house is a row-home inside St. Mary's Park. It's only a few minutes from Downtown Baltimore. One cool thing about the house is its big staircase. It's 26 feet wide and 42 feet deep, and you can see it right when you walk in. The house has at least three bedrooms upstairs.
Why Was the House Built?
Elizabeth Seton wanted to be reunited with her children. She told Bishop Carroll about her wish. He agreed to send her sons to Baltimore. He suggested they go to school at St. Mary's College. Bishop Carroll was the president of the college. This meant he could help her sons get into the school.
But there was one condition for Elizabeth Seton. She had to "establish a school for young girls." This school was going to be a boarding school. It would welcome girls of all ages. The Daughters of Charity helped to pay for and develop this new school.
What Happened to the House After Seton Left?
Elizabeth Seton moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland in the summer of 1809. After she left, the house was empty for a while. Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the house was used for storage. It was even used as a place to store potatoes and do laundry.
The house started to look run down. A group of local women noticed this and decided to help. They started a project to restore the home. The Sulpician Order owns the property. This group also controls St. Mary’s Seminary. During the restoration, workers took many photos of the house. They photographed both the inside and outside. This helped them make sure the house looked exactly like it did when it was new. They also filled the house with furniture from the Federal period.
