Healey Asylum

Healey Asylum is a former orphanage on Ash Street in Lewiston built in the Second Empire style with red brick and granite details. Its mansard roof, paired wings, and H-shaped floor plan are typical features of institutional architecture from that era.

Built in 1893 at the direction of Bishop James Augustine Healy, the building served as an orphanage run by Grey Nuns from Quebec. The facility closed in 1973 after more than 80 years of caring for local boys.

The building carries the mark of French-Canadian religious communities in New England through its design and original purpose of caring for children in need. Its presence reflects how the Catholic Church shaped social services in this industrial mill town.

The building now operates as Healy Terrace, providing housing for older residents in downtown Lewiston. Since it functions as a private residential facility, visiting may be restricted to specific times or require advance arrangement.

The entrance features a wooden portico with bracketed details and gabled dormers that represent rare nineteenth-century institutional design. These ornamental elements are uncommon in surviving buildings and show how much care went into the building's original appearance.

Location: Maine

GPS coordinates: 44.09722,-70.21361

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:00