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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Holy Family Orphanage in Marquette, Michigan


Built in 1915 in Marquette, Michigan, the Holy Family Orphanage was the dream of Marquette Catholic Diocese Bishop, Frederick Eis. It cost somewhere between $90,000 to $120,000, an astronomical sum at the time. The mammoth structure was designed to accommodate 200 children. It was furnished with classrooms, a dormitory, bathrooms on every floor and an annex that housed heating and plumbing facilities. There were laundry and kitchen facilities, a large dining hall and playrooms.

The orphanage stayed open for more than 50 years. At the end, its inhabitants were a group of Cuban children, refugees from Fidel Castro’s Revolution. It finally closed in 1965 and since then it has been left abandoned. Today, the six story building stands with half of its windows boarded up and an over-growth of trees and wild foliage that seems to be melding with the dilapidated structure. Many urban legends and myths are circulating about kids being tortured and dying inside the orphanage, while there are also reports of ghost sightings inside the building.





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19 comments:

  1. Reminds me of the State Hospital buildings in Traverse City a little before they started being renovated. Today it is becoming a beautiful village. Maybe someone will do the same with this building in Marquette.
    photomyon

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    1. it does, and it is haunted as well. I lived in TC when the State Hospital was deserted 1972, and lived in the Orph when I went to NMU as a teen 1975 :-)

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    2. I thought the orphanage closed in '65?

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    3. According to the article it did close in 1965.

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    4. it was part of NMU's Voc Skill Center, when I lived there, an off campus dorm sort of. I dont make stuff up ;-)

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    5. My friend Frank lived there. He never mentioned it being haunted, but did say the Nuns could be mean. Frank is in his 70's now.

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    6. Is there a cemetery near that orphanage?

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  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AnHxGjmA7E

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  3. Would love to see this old orphanage refurbished. Look at the architecture! Yes, it reminds me of Traverse City State Hospital. It was in the same disrepair but it is vibrant now.

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  4. When I was attending NMU I lived on the corner from that building. It always creeped me out at nights.

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  5. looks the the asylum from American Horror Story!

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. I remember a time when my friend Kari lived right by here and we went inside. ..very sad experience but oh so cool at the same time!

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  8. That's quite a building. Shame is falling to ruin.

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  9. Why doesn't someone refurbish/rebuild this place? It could be a very benaficial place to the city, even a historical building.

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    1. Currently it's being restored and turned into housing. Last I saw it (September 2016) they were making some big progress. Unfortunately I relocated and haven't been able to see the progress.

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  10. This grand lady is being renovated. Article didn't mention it was also used as the NMU Skill Center. Working on it now.

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    1. Terrible place burn it lived there terrible nuns

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  11. Grandma lived here when she underwent some surgeries as a child. She didn't like to talk about it. I got the impression it wasn't pleasant at all.

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