Source: Library of Congress, HABS NM-149
St. Anthony's Orphanage for Boys was founded in 1913 by members of the Order of St. Francis of Lafayette, Indiana. Sister Genero and Sister Evarista, in collaboration with Father Mandalari (pastor of Immaculate Conception Church) had the intention of creating an orphanage with sufficient acreage to grow their own food. The Jesuit Father of Old Albuquerque gave 50 acres of land north of Albuquerque and east of the Rio Grande. The need for the orphanage was great; by 20 August 1914 the first school for St. Anthony's students opened.
By the 1930's, the Sisters purchased an additional 41 acres to meet the need of the growing orphanage. The orphanage boasted "spacious lawns, a fine orchard, a large garden area, poultry yards, a swimming pool, a baseball diamond, and playgrounds with modern equipment." The orphanage also maintained fields of alfalfa and grain.
Several celebrities visited the St. Anthony's children over the years, including Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Senator John F. Kennedy, and boxing heavyweight champion Sonny Lipton.
Over the decades many civic groups, businesses, and individuals donated fund and goods to help the children of St. Anthony's Orphanage. The pinnacle of this volunteerism was the Farm in a Day program on 10 September 1949. Scores of volunteers throughout the city worked from dawn until dusk to remodel and repair buildings, perform agricultural tasks, and provide landscaping services.
By 1965, the rapid urban development of Albuquerque made farm life difficult for the orphanage. The Sisters decided to auction off their livestock at this time. Financial considerations, changing philosophies in child care, and dwindling numbers of children at the Boy's Home lead to the decision to close St. Anthony's on 21 May 1971.
Over 5,000 children lived at St. Anthony's Orphanage/Home for Boys over the duration of its existence.
Source: Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Office, Department of the Interior, Denver, Colorado 80225.
Source: Used with permission of the Albuquerque Museum
Source: Library of Congress, HABS NM-149-A
1. U.S. WWII Draft Registration Cards (1940) of Residents and Employees of St. Anthony's Orphanage:
2. U.S. Census Records for St. Anthony's Orphanage:
3. Newspaper Research: There are many local newspaper articles that give a rich cultural history of St. Anthony's Orphanage, as well as photos and important historical events. Here is a bibliography of significant news articles pertaining to St. Anthony's Home for Boys. All of these articles are available with NewspaperArchive Library Edition, a resource you can access with your library card.
5. Baptismal Records: Baptismal records for residents of St. Anthony's Orphanage are housed in storage at the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, they are not available to the public.
Family Search Library: Church Records, 1914-1956- microfilm
