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Our History

St. John’s Residence for Boys has a long history of supporting youth in the community, going back almost two hundred years.
  • 1834  

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    Dr. J. Sullivan Thorne forms The Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum Society, a group dedicated to protecting and educating orphaned children without creating financial hardship for low-income families.

  • 1841  

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    Boys are placed under the care of Michael Burke at a program called St. Paul’s Industrial School located on Clinton Street, Brooklyn.

  • 1857  

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    The boys are moved to a facility on Bedford and Willougby Avenues under the care of the Franciscan Brothers.

  • 1868  

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    The Saint John’s Orphan Asylum for Boys is built on St. Marks Place in what is now Crown Heights North. The institution grew both physically and in population, becoming a huge complex that housed over a thousand boys at its peak. The large enclosed campus housed dormitories, a chapel, kitchen, laundry room and infirmary. It was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph and overseen by the Diocese of Brooklyn.

  • 1884  

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     A fire starts in the laundry room at St. John’s, made more deadly by a lack of fire escapes and no nearby firehouse. 21 children and at least 5 adults perish in the blaze. In the weeks following the disaster, St. John’s receives thousands of dollars in donations from all across the greater NY area and rebuilds the damaged areas, including more and better fire escapes. City leaders order a new fire house and more fire hydrants for the district.

  • 1937  

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    The Marianist brothers and priests assume responsibility for the program from the Sisters of St. Joseph.

  • 1948  

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    St John’s relocates to a new location at Beach 111th Street in Rockaway Park, Queens.

  • 2012  

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    Superstorm Sandy devastates the region and causes severe damage to the school, which temporarily relocates to the St. John’s campus.

  • 2019  

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    St. John’s formally enters into an affiliation agreement with Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, and Jennifer Horsley is officially appointed as Executive Director after six months serving as Interim Director.

  • 2024  

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    St. John’s is awarded an ACS contract to expand Close to Home services, including launching Limited Secure Placement (LSP) programs.

  • 2025  

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    St. John’s welcomes new female residents.