- Item
- 1939-04-01
Part of Richards Studio Photographs
The Joseph S. Kemp mansion at 6602 South Alaska Street was remodeled in 1939 to house the St. Ann's Home (orphanage.) The original St. Ann's Home was founded in July of 1917 at South 13th and M St. At first, it provided daycare for the children of St. Leo's Parish. In 1920, the diocese looked into the plight of children orphaned or with families unable to care for them. They purchased the Byrd home in Fern Hill and opened an orphanage. In the fall of 1938, a fire struck the home and another location was needed. The estate of the late Joseph S. Kemp, overlooking Wapato Lake, was purchased. The home had originally been built in the 1880's. A three story brick building was also constructed on the grounds. Thirty years later in 1968, the brick building was declared unsafe. The mansion itself had been ruled to be unsuitable for children years before. The fixtures and furniture of the Victorian mansion were sold before the building was razed in 1971 and replaced with modern structures. (TNT 7/27/1975, pg. A-11)
St. Ann's Home (Tacoma); Orphanages--Tacoma;