On an overcast Friday afternoon in mid-October, as rain was spreading into Cecil County, I paused on the top of “Sister’s Hill” in North Chesapeake City, contemplating the history of an orphanage that for much of the 20th century took care of dependent children. Here is what I have been able to dig up thus far, but I plan to look more deeply into the institution’s history as there isn’t much readily available written material.
The Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great (O.S.B.M), a Ukrainian Greek Catholic order, established a convent in the United States in 1911 after the Rev. Bishop Soter Ortynsky, O.S.B.M., the Bishop of the Diocese, requested them. The European nuns arrived in Philadelphia to carry on their mission of teaching and caring for dependent children.
Soon after, the sisters established an orphanage on a hilltop on a farm on the northern edge of Chesapeake City. Ukrainians of the Delaware Valley,” an Arcadia Book by Alexander Lushnycky, has a photo of the original group of children at Chesapeake City, snapped during the summer of 1914. In the early days, according to Lushnycky, only preschool children lived there and in the summer boys from the Philadelphia home spent the farming season in Cecil County, working and learning the trade.
The St. Basil Orphanage, alongside the C & D Canal, cared for children between one and six years old, and in 1933, according to the Census Bureau, there were six youngsters on the farm. The Philadelphia home had seventy children between the ages of four and sixteen, according to the same source.
Today the property is vacant, the last of the aging sisters having closed up the institution. I remember two elderly nuns still living there in the late 1970s.
More photos on the Facebook page for Cecil County History
Mike, this is a surprise. Where is the property? I now live in Virginia but know Chesapeake City fairly well. Thanks.
David Rambo Reston, VA
Sent from my iPhone
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David it is the farm right at the north end of the Chesapeake City Bridge. As you come off the bridge, the farm is there on the right and the street into town formers its northern boundary. I’ve got a lot more work to on this, but the sisters seem to be there about the time they got to this country (1911). I can remember a couple of the older sisters living there sometime in the 1970s, but I don’t think they were would have been able to care for children. I have a few more photos of it up on http://www.facebook.com/delmarvahistory
Mike, never thanked you for this response and for all the great work you do. I and many others greatly appreciate it!
David
My pleasure Dave. Thanks.
Just read in the Cecil Guardian that Schaefer’s Canal House purchased the property to make a parking lot for the restaurant and the Cardin Trail along the C&D Canal.
It would be nice if they could at least provide an historical marker to commemorate the history.
I live in DE & did not know about this place. Saw some of the photos and it looks lovely. It’s a shame that the buildings will be demolished. 🙁
We agree Kathleen. We’ll make that suggestion to the town.
I heard there was a 90 day review period as of March 1, does anyone know how it is going?
It would be great if the grotto on the orphanage property, apparently built by founding members of St Basil Ukrainian Church on the south side of town, could possibly be restored or perhaps relocated nearby to adjacent St Rose Church Cemetery where dozens of community Ukrainians are buried.
It sure would Nicholas.
I remember this place very well, I should, thought I was going to End up there many a time . It’s a shame though. So much History there.
My Mother and Father was close with the Sisters. We lived i chesapeake city for years. I remember my mom having a large garden at the Sisters. Only 2 people lived there besides the Sisters and that was Eddie Falcon and a old man we called Uncle George. One Sister I have never forgotten was Sister Augustis(not sure of the spelling) only because she was the oldest and i was scared to death of her because she wasnt too nice
Thanks Jeanette for sharing your memory of the sisters.
I was one of those children in 1954 to 56. I always wanted to find out where it was. Thank you for you work. It meant a lot to me.
God bless.
Thanks Michael for visiting Cecil County History. The buldings are still there, though the property was sold by the Sisters several months ago and there are plans for commercial development on the site. A lot restaurant bought it.
What was it like living there
As a little girl my sister Cindy and I helped count the orphanage collection money in envelopes with our Aunt Kate Karbonick. The Blendy Family has lived in Chesapeake City since the early 1900s; Grandfather Stephan Blendy worked on the C&D. Many fond memories still to this day as my Aunt Barb, the youngest of 8, still lives there! Fun town, great memories. Thanks for this post – I shared from Father Val’s post on FB, our priest still today at St Basil !
Janice, thanks for sharing your wonderful memories.
Hello, trying to find out a little history.My mom was there in 1930s sometime.She said there was another place they lived at I guess in the winter.My mom since passed.She was born in 1933.I don’t know how old she was when she was put there.Trying to see if there was other kids there still alive that may of remembered her.My moms name was Josephine Felegi.There was another child that came there a little later named Barbara. I don’t know here maiden name.But I still talk to her.my mom and her became friends.My name is Linda Womer
My ex, Mike Losten and his brother, Steve lived there when they were younger. I have heard stories good and bad of that place with the nuns. Eddie Falcone who lived there and helped out the sisters was the photographer of our wedding. Mike took me up there and introduce me to sister Augusta.
I was there one summer, came down from St Basils Orphanage Philadelphia. I was about 7 years old.,The only thing I remember is learning how to swim in a nearby creek and stepping on a hornet hole in the ground all the hornets came out of the hole after us, and we jumped into the creek, thus saving us from a lot of stings! Wish I could remember more. I’m 78 years old now, lots of fond memories
at St Basil’s school and graduated in the 8th grade.
James, thanks for sharing this memory with us.
Although I do not live there, I was born in Chesapeake city and will be buried there in the St. Rose cemetery along side my Blendy grandparents, my birth mother the late Anne Blendy Flink, my late Aunt Barbara Blendy, and my late elder sister Maria. My grandparents were founding members of St. Basils Ukrainian Church and the town of Chesapeake City, and several of my cousins in the large Blendy family still live there. Over the years, our family has gathered at Schaffers for many family events. Two of my cousins, Nickolas and Janice have previously written on this blog. And during the recent several years, I have had conversations with our cousin, Barbara Blendy, who still lives in the family home, located on the Chesapeake Canal, where our late Ukrainian immigrant grandfather, Stephan Blendy worked, built a home, and raised a family. The Blendy family has deep roots and great love for this community. This background info leads me to the reason for my participation in contributing to this blog today. Last evening I had a conversation with my Cousin Barbara about the grotto that is on the property of the Sisters Hill property. This property has been purchased by Schaefer’s to build an additional parking lot. My cousin Barbara, some other Blendy cousins, as well as the priest at St. Basil’s Church want to have the current grotto, statue, and fence, donated, deconstructed, moved, and reconstructed on the already historic grounds of St. Basils Ukrainian Church. They also have a plan on how to implement this work with skilled volunteers. It would be a deeply significant and meaningful contribution and solution for what to do with this beautiful historic grotto. Community, county, state leaders, as religious leaders, historic preservationists , and media could be invited for the dedication and blessing. This could be arranged around another community event or even during May, a month dedicated to Mary and Mothers. What is mostly needed now is the leadership and support to execute this plan. Unfortunately, neither my Cousin Barbara nor I are physically able to take on this leadership role to move forward with this plan and important project. I am writing this blog today to ask for your thoughts and request support.
Thank you. Annette Reynolds in Alabama.
Thanks for sharing your comments Annette.
Annette,
What a great story, I visited Chesapeake city today for the first time. I am wondering what really hope the moving of the Grato was able to take place. Does anybody have any information on this?
In my previous Jan. entry, I failed to mention my cousin, Bill Blendy, concerning the suggestion for the Mary grotto to be moved to the historic St. Basil’s Ukrainian Church property. I support this idea, especially since, I think, St. Roses already has one. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your memory, Annettee.
My uncles were there 1945-47, I believe. Steve, Dan and Mike Dolla. They were taken there by a Ferry my uncle Dan thinks. They came in from St Basiles’ Orphanage in Philadelphia, PA for the summer