The following is a very short excerpt from the history of the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Bishop Henni headed the Milwaukee Diocese from 1843-1881: "Social welfare institutions blossomed as well. St. Mary's Hospital and St. Rose Orphan Asylum were opened early in Henni's career, as was St. Aemillian's orphanage." The above indicates that St. Rose's and St. Aemillian's were two different establishments from the beginning. Whether they ever merged is not noted. The following is an excerpt from an online history of the Milwaukee Cathedral. "There were other important ministries on the "Cathedral Block" which required attention and also forged the way for subsequent institutions of service: St. Rose Orphan Asylum for girls and St. Aemilian's Orphanage for boys (the first orphanages in the city and the forerunners to a variety of social services in the diocese), Milwaukee's first hospital, St. John's Infirmary (which later moved and changed its name to St. Mary's Hospital), and the schools begun years earlier at St. Peter's which opened the way for the Cathedral Grade School and High School." This would seem to indicate that the location of the original Catholic orphanages for boys and girls were in the general vicinity of present-day Van Buren and Kilbourn Streets. Both St. Rose's and St. Aemillians's were likely staffed by Catholic nuns. Most Catholic religious orders have a member who serves as an archivist/historian for the order, and might be able to answer general questions about the founding and history of an orphanage. St. Joseph's orphanage in Milwaukee was staffed by Felician Sisters and St. Vincent's by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (the ones who used to have the huge white headdresses). However, I don't know which order(s) staffed St. Rose and/or St. Aemillian. Anyone out there have further information? Perhaps someone located in Milwaukee could contact the Chancery Office, which could provide information on who ran the orphanages and the address(es) of the appropriate Motherhouse. If the Protestant Orphan Asylum was affiliated with the Episcopal Church in Milwaukee (or St. Paul's Parish [founded 1838] as someone noted), perhaps the Episcopal Chancery Office would have information in its records. Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, 804 E. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202. Phone (414) 272-3028 Mary Popovich