Original SIte of St. Mary's Orphan Asylum

Children orphaned by a yellow fever epidemic in 1867 were cared for temporarily in Galveston's St. Mary's Infirmary by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. In 1874 Galveston Bishop Claude Dubuis bought the 35-acre plantation and home of Farnifala and Laura Green located between this gulf front and Green's Bayou for use as a permanent orphanage. In early 1874 the Sisters of St. Mary's Infirmary founded St. Mary's Orphan Asylum by housing 28 children here at the site of the Greens' former residence. A 2-story facility for orphan girls was built nearby in October 1874. The girl's dormitory was all that remained of the orphanage after the storm of 1875. A new residence for boys was built by 1879. St. Mary's was caring for orphans from throughout Texas at the time it was granted a Texas charter in 1896. The catastrophic storm of 1900 completely destroyed the orphanage. Ten nuns and at least 90 children were tragically killed despite the nuns' valiant efforts to save the children by securing them to their own bodies with clothesline. Three orphan boys rescued at sea were the only survivors. St. Mary's Orphan Asylum reopened at 40th and Q streets in Galveston City in 1901 and remained there until closing in 1967. (1994)

Original SIte of St. Mary's Orphan Asylum is a historical marker in Galveston, Galveston County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 283 historical markers documented in Galveston County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 373 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.2629, -94.8327 near Galveston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Rosewood Cemetery (historical marker), about 0.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Serbian Orothodox, Hebrew Cemetery #1, and B’nai Israel Congregation Cemetery--Section.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5167007175. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.