1835
St. Mary Euphrasia establishes the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Angers, France.
Our history
A journey of hope since 1843
For more than 180 years, Maryhurst has evolved to meet the changing needs of Kentucky’s children and families while holding fast to a belief in every person’s dignity and potential.
Where our story began
Bold beginnings on the banks of the Ohio
In a bustling city on the banks of the Ohio River, women and girls who found themselves poor, homeless, and otherwise without support had little hope in Louisville until Maryhurst opened its doors in 1843.
Invited to America by Bishop Flaget, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd boldly sent five nuns across the Atlantic to start the charity that would become Maryhurst. Leaving their home in France with the knowledge that most would never return, these Sisters endured several weeks of travel by ship, stagecoach, train, and riverboat.
Arriving in Louisville in December 1842, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd had no home of their own. A mere nine months later, they opened their own residence and took in their first child, Mary Fitzpatrick, who arrived in poor health and in need of care.
In many ways, the Sisters were ahead of their time in their values and philosophy of care. Corporal punishment was forbidden, residences were racially integrated, and the Sisters encouraged each girl to recognize her individual worth.
History & timeline
Milestones across generations
1843
Five sisters sent by St. Mary Euphrasia open the first Maryhurst home at 8th Street and Madison in Louisville.
1866
A second location opens on Bank Street to serve additional girls in West Louisville neighborhoods.
1939
The agency adopts its current name, Maryhurst, after previously being known as House of the Good Shepherd.
1976
Residential cottages and administrative offices relocate to Dorsey Lane in Louisville’s East End, where they remain today.
1986
To better support young people completing residential programs, Maryhurst begins independent living services for girls ages 18–21.
1989
Maryhurst begins offering foster care services, becoming Kentucky’s first private provider of therapeutic foster care.
1998
Ownership transfers to the Board of Directors, establishing Maryhurst as a private, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2014
With an increased focus on prevention and family preservation, Maryhurst begins offering counseling services for children and families.
2018
Maryhurst celebrates 175 years of continuous operation as Kentucky’s oldest child welfare agency.
A legacy of responsive care
Growing alongside the needs of our community
The Sisters understood the value of family and worked to help girls reunite with parents whenever possible. A second residence was built in the 1860s because demand for services was so great.
Maryhurst’s first contract to care for dependent children paid just 33⅓ cents per child per day. In the decades since, Maryhurst has consistently led the way in meeting the growing and changing needs of children and families in Louisville and throughout Kentucky. That evolution created a continuum of services that prevents abuse, restores hope, and empowers survivors.
In 1989, Maryhurst established Kentucky’s first private therapeutic foster care service. As trauma-informed care emerged as the most compassionate and effective model for working with survivors of abuse, Maryhurst became the first agency in the state to adopt it fully across its programs. In 2014, an increased focus on prevention and family preservation led to counseling services for children and families.
In 1998, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd transferred ownership of the agency to its Board of Directors. Although Maryhurst now operates independently as a nonsectarian nonprofit, the organization continues to hold dearly the values of care inherited from its founders.
Our story continues
Building the next chapter of hope
Maryhurst continues to adapt, innovate, and stand beside children and families as they build safer, healthier futures.
Explore Our Programs