The Diocese of Little Rock announced July 3 that it will be demolishing St. Joseph Center in North Little Rock after a fire March 19 caused major structural damage.
The fire destroyed the roof, the iconic cupola topped with a cross and some of the interior, including the chapel.
The building was constructed in 1910 as St. Joseph Orphanage, operated by the sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith. After 1978, the orphanage closed, and the sisters continued to use the building and grounds for a daycare.
When the daycare closed in 1997, the diocese operated a retreat center there until 2010, when it signed a 50-year lease with St. Joseph Center of Arkansas Inc. Since then, the center has been used for art studios and an Airbnb. Outside, there is an organic urban farm and farm stand.
In a statement, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said, “For the second time in three months, I have sad news to share with you regarding the former St. Joseph Orphanage building in North Little Rock. On March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, a fire broke out which heavily damaged much of the building. As a consequence, after having been studied by engineering and insurance experts, it has now been determined that the building is structurally unsound and cannot be salvaged at a reasonable rate compared to the cost to rebuild. The cost to restore the current building is believed to be over $20 million and that does not include putting in air conditioning, which the current building did not have, or the cost of operating the building once rebuilt. Sadly, the most prudent decision for the future of that property and the people of the diocese is to demolish the building — and the Diocesan Finance Council, Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council all concur unanimously in this decision.
“I know this decision will displease quite a few people, but I am convinced that we have no other realistic alternative. This is doubly sad because of all our memories of the good work done by the Benedictine sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery with the St. Joseph Orphanage, as well as our other memories of this historic building and the desire we naturally share to see it preserved. But the sad reality is that the projected cost to restore the building to its original state and bring it up to code would be disproportionate to how the building might be used and to the benefit that it would provide to the people of the diocese — who, of course, are my overarching responsibility. The mission of the Catholic Church in Arkansas is bigger than any one building, no matter how important or historic. And our priority must always be to evangelize and spread our faith. As Pope Francis reminded a group of pilgrims back on May 20, 2023, ‘Our faith is not an artifact in a museum, it is a living witness to the world.’
“The diocese has made an agreement with St. Joseph Center of Arkansas to permit them to continue their activities on the property for the time being, as they have done valuable work over the years in keeping the memory alive for those who benefited from their years at the orphanage.”
The 56,000-square-foot, four-story brick and stone building was modeled after an Italian villa. Of the 720 acres once maintained by the sisters, only 63 acres are still owned by the diocese. Since the fire, the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas has continued to conduct most of its outdoor activities and fundraising events.
