History and Roots: St. Mary’s Residence Offering a Stable Alternative in an Unstable World
by Cristina Turino
St. Mary’s Residence, one of the sisters’ oldest ministries, is situated in Paulus Hook, a historic section of Jersey City that has cycled through different socio-economic stratospheres over the last 100 plus years. In the midst of these changes, St. Mary’s has remained a refuge for single women continuing Mother Clare’s mission to protect, serve, and enable those most vulnerable.
Before she left Ireland, Mother Clare was in the process of establishing a hostel and training school to help working girls support themselves at home and abroad. In 1885, she initiated these same programs for Irish immigrants with St. Joseph’s Home in downtown Jersey City. Here, young women were offered safety by means of affordable room and board, and communal living. Within a few years, they could also elect to improve their skillset by taking evening classes at St. Mary’s Industrial Training School, which was located in the same building. With classes open to non-residents as well, instructors from the Pratt Institute and sisters certified in Domestic Science taught sewing, dressmaking, millinery, and cooking for a small fee – though they never turned a needy
student away.
Just around the corner from St. Joseph’s Home was the Hotel Washington, the last luxury establishment in the city. Built between 1840 and 1850, the hotel was the combination of two buildings – 240 and 242 Washington Street – that were owned by Frederick Decker Linn, a successful publisher of legal books. A lifelong bachelor and self-made man, Linn had bought one house to serve as his home and business office, then subsequently procured the adjacent one to create the successful hotel. Even after his death in 1897, the popular hotel was hosting travelers, residents, and conferences. The sisters had greater aims for the building.
In 1902, the Congregation purchased the hotel and renovated it. Three years later, it reopened as St. Joseph’s Home for Working Girls, though part of the building was soon renamed St. Mary’s Home. The former continued to focus on young women, particularly those in retail and factory positions. The latter was open to women of varying ages who were employed in any industry. According to an ad from the day, tourists or strangers who presented “satisfactory references” were also welcome. By 1908, it was wholly known as St. Mary’s Home and catered to all women in need of a secure home and training. The school remained in operation for a few more years before it finally closed, but residents were encouraged to practice their sewing or teach each other typing or stenography in a back room.
During St. Mary’s Home’s early evolution, Paulus Hook, once the site of a revolutionary battle and the last home of inventor Robert Fulton, was on its way to becoming a strictly working class, immigrant enclave. It was home to the Irish, Germans, and Eastern Europeans, who owned businesses or worked in industries nearby. But, between 1960 and 1980, the area saw an economic downturn and the swelling of a population comprised of some of the most downtrodden peoples – many of them women and children. In search of a way to best provide assistance, the sisters consulted with their neighbors. This resulted in the development of the York Street Project, a synthesis of social programs that provide the infrastructure necessary for those struggling to prosper. St. Mary’s Residence was incorporated into this new venture. And, after a two-year renovation, the institution resumed its function in 1991.
Development and gentrification have once again changed Paulus Hook, and most of downtown Jersey City, into a very desirable and expensive area to live. Yet, St. Mary’s Residence continues to offer relief to women in need of affordable housing. According to its Assistant Director Donna Schuyler, today’s residents mainly represent women in transition. Many are middle-aged, low income American women in the process of moving from manual labor positions to office work. St. Mary’s Residence is still a stable alternative, offering radical hospitality for those who are alone and in need – due to divorce, the cost of living, immigration, or circumstance. It provides habitat, sustenance, and perhaps most importantly, a community comprised of similar residents and a supportive staff.
This article was published in the Summer 2017 issue of Living Peace.