St. Joseph's Church (Fall River, Massachusetts)
St. Joseph's Church is a historic church located at 1355 North Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was built in 1880 in the Gothic Revival style and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was designed by notable church architect Patrick C. Keely.
Old St. Joseph's Church
In 1793 a yellow fever epidemic swept the central area of Philadelphia, killing ten per cent of the population. Old St. Joseph's established an orphanage to care for some of the many children left without families due to the epidemic. The church became racially integrated in the 1790s when slaves fleeing a revolution in Santo Domingo settled in Philadelphia and some joined the church. St. Mary's Charity School educated these immigrants, ultimately leading to the establishment of St. Peter Claver School in Philadelphia later in the 19th Century.