ARTICLES

St. Joseph’s Villa seeking alumni for June reunion

St. Joseph’s Villa of Richmond is inviting all former residents and their families, employees and Catholics who have an interest in its history to its 2008 Alumni Reunion to be held June 27–29.

The Villa is located at 8000 Brook Road (formerly known as Washington Highway) in Henrico County, three miles north of the City of Richmond.

St. Joseph’s Villa traces its roots to 1834, when the Sisters of Charity founded St. Joseph’s Academy and Orphan Asylum in downtown Richmond. The Villa moved to its present location in 1931, thanks to a transformative gift from Major James H. Dooley.

Major Dooley’s gift enabled the Villa to build a new facility on “Hollybrook,” a working farm which the Daughters of Charity had purchased in 1898.

In its heyday, St. Joseph’s Villa provided shelter and education to more than 150 girls. Girls could live at St. Joseph’s Villa from birth until they graduated from high school. The Villa began caring for boys in the 1940s or 1950s.

The Daughters of Charity withdrew from St. Joseph’s Villa in 1977. Following the withdrawal, the Villa has become a nonsectarian nonprofit organization providing a variety of services to benefit the community. At various times, the Villa has operated a senior center, a swimming pool, and many residential services for children in crisis.

Today, St. Joseph’s Villa provides educational, residential and day services to more than 600 children each day who suffer from autism, abuse, neglect and homelessness.

For more information contact Brenda Savage, 804–200–1616.

back to top