Deborah Brown

Hi, I lived in St. Michael's Orphanage and I remember exactly where the orphanage was. It was on Princeton Ave. in Hopewell Borough. Today it is a land preserve, you can find information on it at the following website: or by looking up St. Michael's Farm Preserve, Hopewell, NJ. The building was torn down in 1970. You can also find a great deal of information about it by searching "St. Michael's Orphanage in Hopewell, NJ" Former orphans have a Facebook page called "St. Michael's Orphanage" and you'd be surprised at the number of people who belong to this page that lived at St. Michael's Orphanage at varying times. I was there from about 1958 until 1962 or thereabouts. I was just 3-4 years-old when I came to live there. Later in life I worked for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. One of the schools in the district, Hopewell Elementary is practically across the road from where St. Michael's was. The Hopewell Firehouse is also across the street from the former site of St. Michael's Orphanage. There are many, many resources available to you about this orphanage including the book of Hopewell Borough. I hope this helps you find any information that you are seeking. I don't have any information about you personally, but you asked about St Michael's. My Mom was in St Michael's, long before you were. It was in Somerville NJ, not Hopewell. It does not exist any longer, I'm sorry to tell you. I wish I could help further, but that's all the information I have. I hope your experience was a lot better than my Mom's there. Everything that I've read on this site states that St Michael's was in Hopewell. My Mother always said it was in Somerville and so did my Aunt. I know that at the time she was there, they did have the boys and girls in separate areas. She originally went in in 1939 (Late January, early February). I hate to say it but the nuns that were there at that time were severely abusive. And from what others have said it was a nicer place than when my Mother was there.[/quote]