A neat old view of the south east corner of Erie and Ouellette, the block immediately south of Monday’s shot. While the Masonic Temple is still standing and in use, this one is long gone… A neat old building, and hard to imagine when it was built, it was out on the edge of town…
The six city lots were bought for $2,300 in the 1880’s by five Sisters of St. Joseph’s Hospitaliers from Montreal (with help from Fr. Wagner of St. Alphonses’ who had the original idea). They combined their own money with donations begged from Windsorites. They planned to build a hospital, plus an orphanage and school for the children of Negro migrants from the American south (excluded from attending Windsor’s public schools). The building was completed and dedicated in 1890. The orphanage and school closed by 1895.