Along with these houses and estates, an important occupant of the district in the 1870s was the St. Francis Roman Catholic Orphanage (c. 1870, later demolished), a rather grandiose French Empire Revival building occupying grounds stretching from Prospect Street to Whitney Avenue just north of Highland Street. Edgehill Road, which was not cut through the estate until 1900, still retains the gateposts and stone wall of the orphanage. This information was entitled Prospect Hill Historic District. and there was an email nhtp@connix.com . If you write to this email if it is still good you could probably find out what they did with the old records from highland heights.

I need help. My great grandmother was in the St. Francis Orphan Asylum in New Haven CT. We are not sure when she went there or when we left. We know that on the 1900 US Census she is living with her adoptive family but is listed as a "boarder" at age 19 with the name Minnie Lillis. We do not know what her real name is. We think she was born in 1879 or 1880. Does anyone know if this home has any records. I have neard they do have ledgers there. Our family would like to know who she was. We have called and sent letters but with no returned calls or letters. Please help!

St. Francis Orphan Asylum also called Highland Heights in New Haven, CT. has no records. Several people have written there and gotten no information.Many have written to the diocese of Hartford, CT. and never heard anything either.
George Roberts has a site www.highlandheightsorphanage.com
I have a booklet called Century of Service 1852-1952.I could check and see if your great grandmother might be listed there.
My father,his brother and sister went to Highland Heights in 1915 when their mother, Filomena Colangelo Facciuto died of TB. The father we heard went back to italy. please contact me and we can talk more efacciuto59@yahoo.com
and no family would take all 3 children.

Betty,

Thanks for replying. I have contacted George Roberts and he believes there are ledgers there but who knows what is in them. If you could please check your book to see if my great grandmother is in it that would be really appreciated. We think her name might have been Florence McDermott or that could be her sisters name as she was there too. She was born either 1879 or 1880 so she would have been there sometime in the 1880's into the 1890's. We were told their parents died in a fire. The name Minnie Lillis was the name she changed to when she went to live with John and Mary Lillis.

So if you could check your book for the years 1880-1900 for 2 sisters there possibly with the names Minnie (not sure of a last name) and Florence (maybe with a last name of McDermott) that would be great.

Thanks,

Jennifer

Jennifer,
There are lots of pictures of children at the school, but NO names.
Some pictures of men in the service and Priests, one is my uncle Rev. William P. Facciuto , nuns names, people who contributed to the booklet "Century of Service" but that's all there is.
MY father and his sister went to Mary Fahey home, darien/Stamford CT. but is listed in the census as adopted children , but thank God their name was never changed betty

Please contact me at efacciuto59@yahoo.com and lets see if there is any help i can give you betty

I have just started a family search and I know my father and his brother and sister were in a Catholic Orphanage in New Hartford, Ct. around 1912. I read you have a copy of the book"century of Service, 1852 - 1952. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately I have waited to long to start this search. My parents and all of their sisters and brothers have passed. The names were James, Edith and Edward Moran, their mother's maiden name was Hadden. Again, thank you for any help you can give me.
Linda Moran Semilof

I meant New Haven, Ct.
Linda Moran Semilof

There are a few pictures in the booklet not many but I will look for you, with those names. Mostly the pictures are of Nurses, servicemen , Priests, nuns with names beside them.
My uncle ( biaggio, billy) was there in 1915 along with his brother, my father Anthony(Tony) Facciuto and sister( Rosa Facciuto). Rev. William Facciuto has a picture in the booklet when he got ordained in 1937. I don't know what he looked like as a child. In the pictures of children , no names are given.
The only Moran i found was a DONOR OF SPECIAL GIFTS, in the back of the booklet that contains 83 pages , Helen E. Moran
there is a site for highland heights and you can look there.
www.highlandheightsorphanage.com betty

Linda, Are you still looking for help?? betty