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Cardinal
Hayes Home for Children began in l94l when Cardinal Spellman,
the Archbishop of New York at that time, asked the Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary to transfer their small convalescent care center for children
from Palenville, New York, to Millbrook. Under
the sponsorship of the Sisters, CHHC has over the years
served hundreds of youngsters from many different ethnic,
religious and social backgrounds.
The
main facility in Millbrook was once a private home that was
built in l925 by Oakleigh L. Thorne, a prominent member of the
Millbrook community. Mr.
Thorne had the mansion constructed for his daughter, who
occupied the home for only a short time as she moved to
California for reasons of health. Although
Mr. Thorne was a Quaker, he was a personal friend and great
admirer of Patrick Cardinal Hayes. After the Cardinal's death, Mr. Thorne donated the home
and 62 acres of land to the Archdiocese of New York in
memory of Cardinal Hayes, with the stipulation that it be used
for a charitable purpose. Although the original structure has been remodeled
several times and enlarged through the addition of wings,
the unique character of the home has been preserved.
Cardinal
Hayes Home opened its doors in June l94l as a convalescent
home serving children discharged from hospitals who could not be
provided with adequate care in their own homes. By l960, the need for convalescent care had decreased
substantially, and programs were restructured to provide
services for neglected and dependent children. Throughout
these years, there were always some young people at Cardinal
Hayes who were physically and mentally disabled. |
