# St Joseph's Orphanage/Mount Street Hospital - Preston - March 2020



## Jenal Urbex (Jun 1, 2020)

St Joseph's Orphanage was funded and built on behalf of a wealthy widow named "Maria Holland" in 1872 who was frequently donating £10,000 at a time to build the structure as Preston had one of the worst mortality rates in the UK at the time due to poor housing and low paid mill workers. In 1877 "St Joseph's Institute for the Sick and Poor" was opened. The chapel was added in 1910. The hospital could accomodate around 25 patients at a time and was run by Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy. St Joseph's Orphanage cared for around 971 children and had two dormitories until it closed in 1954. The top floor of the old orphanage was used for accomodation for the nuns working in the hospital. The hospital cared for a number of British and Belgian soldiers in WW1 and WW2. Singer George Formby died at the hospital in 1961. The hospital continued to run after the oprhanage closed however until the nuns left nursing and led to the hospitals eventual closure in 1982. In 1988 the building was converted into a care home which operated smoothly until that finally closed its doors in February 2003. The building has been abandoned ever since. There were plans to convert the building into flats in 2004 an were given the green light but the plans never went ahead. Now in 2020 a company named Czero wants to demolish the majority of the buildings that remain and build new flats around the chapel and tower end of the orphanage once redeveloped.

During this exploration in March we found an access point that we knew would not be there forever so we decided to make the most of it while it was there and ended up visiting a few times during mid-March, sadly as of this date that access point has been blocked off. During our exploration we encounter lots of interesting things inside the building. Here are some of the pictures we took.






A picture I took of the back end of the building in a back garden/courtyard.




A picture of an old doorway that led into the building during its operation.




Another face of the building from the exterior.




A picture of inside the old chapel part of the building.




One of the original windows of the building.




The stage of the chapel.




In very good condition there is stained glass window saying "Praised by Jesus Christ".




One of the stained glass windows within the chapel.




One of the old surgery machines in the old hospital.




Part of the top floor of the orphanage that has suffered a fire many years ago.




The surgery room with the table and curtains in the shot.




A newspaper from 1997 that we found in the basement of the hospital.




The central area between the old hospital and the chapel.




A piece of machinery in the attic of the hospital




Some of the old windows in the old hospital.




The old morgue that still sits the ground floor of the old hospital




Some old electrical equipment found inside the old hospital.


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## KPUrban_ (Jun 1, 2020)

That lamp is looking worse for wear these days. Something about old Hanaulux lamps which is cool as.


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## Electric (Jun 2, 2020)

Nice report Jenal. Such interesting little features that still remain.


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## BikinGlynn (Jun 3, 2020)

Must try & go here. Yeah I like the lamp, shame glass is all broke, Id still give good money for it, would love one as a dining room light!


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## Hippy Explorer (Jun 29, 2020)

Awesome pics. This place is fairly close to a friend of mine so am hoping to be able to have a walk around, even if it's just round the grounds, soon ☺


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## slavette7881 (Aug 18, 2020)

Hi looking at going here tomorrow, is it still accessible


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## wilksop (Dec 10, 2020)

Jenal Urbex said:


> St Joseph's Orphanage was funded and built on behalf of a wealthy widow named "Maria Holland" in 1872 who was frequently donating £10,000 at a time to build the structure as Preston had one of the worst mortality rates in the UK at the time due to poor housing and low paid mill workers. In 1877 "St Joseph's Institute for the Sick and Poor" was opened. The chapel was added in 1910. The hospital could accomodate around 25 patients at a time and was run by Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy. St Joseph's Orphanage cared for around 971 children and had two dormitories until it closed in 1954. The top floor of the old orphanage was used for accomodation for the nuns working in the hospital. The hospital cared for a number of British and Belgian soldiers in WW1 and WW2. Singer George Formby died at the hospital in 1961. The hospital continued to run after the oprhanage closed however until the nuns left nursing and led to the hospitals eventual closure in 1982. In 1988 the building was converted into a care home which operated smoothly until that finally closed its doors in February 2003. The building has been abandoned ever since. There were plans to convert the building into flats in 2004 an were given the green light but the plans never went ahead. Now in 2020 a company named Czero wants to demolish the majority of the buildings that remain and build new flats around the chapel and tower end of the orphanage once redeveloped.
> 
> During this exploration in March we found an access point that we knew would not be there forever so we decided to make the most of it while it was there and ended up visiting a few times during mid-March, sadly as of this date that access point has been blocked off. During our exploration we encounter lots of interesting things inside the building. Here are some of the pictures we took.
> 
> ...


I live, new, in Preston. Pass by that place a lot. Ached to get into there to explore. Great mysterious looking building. And, being an ex-orphan boy myself, I am attached to such institutional old buildings.


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## sapphiree (Dec 18, 2020)

Jenal Urbex said:


> St Joseph's Orphanage was funded and built on behalf of a wealthy widow named "Maria Holland" in 1872 who was frequently donating £10,000 at a time to build the structure as Preston had one of the worst mortality rates in the UK at the time due to poor housing and low paid mill workers. In 1877 "St Joseph's Institute for the Sick and Poor" was opened. The chapel was added in 1910. The hospital could accomodate around 25 patients at a time and was run by Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy. St Joseph's Orphanage cared for around 971 children and had two dormitories until it closed in 1954. The top floor of the old orphanage was used for accomodation for the nuns working in the hospital. The hospital cared for a number of British and Belgian soldiers in WW1 and WW2. Singer George Formby died at the hospital in 1961. The hospital continued to run after the oprhanage closed however until the nuns left nursing and led to the hospitals eventual closure in 1982. In 1988 the building was converted into a care home which operated smoothly until that finally closed its doors in February 2003. The building has been abandoned ever since. There were plans to convert the building into flats in 2004 an were given the green light but the plans never went ahead. Now in 2020 a company named Czero wants to demolish the majority of the buildings that remain and build new flats around the chapel and tower end of the orphanage once redeveloped.
> 
> During this exploration in March we found an access point that we knew would not be there forever so we decided to make the most of it while it was there and ended up visiting a few times during mid-March, sadly as of this date that access point has been blocked off. During our exploration we encounter lots of interesting things inside the building. Here are some of the pictures we took.
> 
> ...


Hi I love your photos, St Joseph's is a really interesting place! I've been doing some research into Mrs Maria Holland's life and was wondering how you found out she was a widow, I'd love to find out more about her


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## Jenal Urbex (Dec 19, 2020)

sapphiree said:


> Hi I love your photos, St Joseph's is a really interesting place! I've been doing some research into Mrs Maria Holland's life and was wondering how you found out she was a widow, I'd love to find out more about her


I only found out she was a widow from the sources I got the history I found elsewhere that said she was a widow.


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## Muddy Wader (Dec 19, 2020)

Jenal Urbex said:


> St Joseph's Orphanage was funded and built on behalf of a wealthy widow named "Maria Holland" in 1872 who was frequently donating £10,000 at a time to build the structure as Preston had one of the worst mortality rates in the UK at the time due to poor housing and low paid mill workers. In 1877 "St Joseph's Institute for the Sick and Poor" was opened. The chapel was added in 1910. The hospital could accomodate around 25 patients at a time and was run by Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy. St Joseph's Orphanage cared for around 971 children and had two dormitories until it closed in 1954. The top floor of the old orphanage was used for accomodation for the nuns working in the hospital. The hospital cared for a number of British and Belgian soldiers in WW1 and WW2. Singer George Formby died at the hospital in 1961. The hospital continued to run after the oprhanage closed however until the nuns left nursing and led to the hospitals eventual closure in 1982. In 1988 the building was converted into a care home which operated smoothly until that finally closed its doors in February 2003. The building has been abandoned ever since. There were plans to convert the building into flats in 2004 an were given the green light but the plans never went ahead. Now in 2020 a company named Czero wants to demolish the majority of the buildings that remain and build new flats around the chapel and tower end of the orphanage once redeveloped.
> 
> During this exploration in March we found an access point that we knew would not be there forever so we decided to make the most of it while it was there and ended up visiting a few times during mid-March, sadly as of this date that access point has been blocked off. During our exploration we encounter lots of interesting things inside the building. Here are some of the pictures we took.
> 
> ...


Spooky place. A well-timed visit, before the winter weather gives it a good soaking. It won't be standing long without the roof tiles.


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## Roderick (Dec 21, 2020)

Great report, I enjoyed it. I particularly like the old x ray machine.


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## FunkyMuffin (Dec 22, 2020)

Ooohhh nice. I'd love to get up there sometime


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## Darklldo (Dec 22, 2020)

BikinGlynn said:


> Must try & go here. Yeah I like the lamp, shame glass is all broke, Id still give good money for it, would love one as a dining room light!


You'd roast under them BikinGlynn. I suppose at least they would keep the food warm


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## Darklldo (Dec 22, 2020)

The morgue table looks well used. A grim reminder of days gone by. 
Thank you, Nice photos


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