Margaret Haughery & the Infant Asylums of New Orleans – Legends of America
Ever heard of someone so beloved, they’re practically a local legend? Meet Margaret Haughery, a name that still rings with warmth and admiration in New Orleans. Back in the 1880s, she was the person to know if you were down on your luck, hungry, or an orphan in need of a home. They called her "Our Margaret," "The Bread Woman of New Orleans," and the "Mother of Orphans." Pretty impressive titles, right? Let’s dive into her story.
From Ireland to Hardship
Margaret’s journey started in County Leitrim, Ireland, back in 1813. She was one of six kids, and life on the family’s small farm wasn’t always easy. Bad weather hit, crops failed, and suddenly her family, like so many others, were struggling to make ends meet.
In 1818, the Gaffneys decided to chase a better life across the ocean in Baltimore, Maryland. Little Margaret, just five years old, boarded a ship with her brother and baby sister. Sadly, they couldn’t afford to bring all the kids, so the older ones stayed behind with an uncle. The voyage was rough – storms, scarce food, you name it. But amidst the chaos, they met a kind Welsh woman named Mrs. Richards.
Tragedy struck again soon after they arrived. Baby Kathleen passed away, and then a yellow fever epidemic swept through Baltimore, claiming both of Margaret’s parents within days. Can you imagine being just nine years old and suddenly all alone?
Her brother Kevin disappeared, but Mrs. Richards, remembering the Gaffneys from the ship, stepped in and took Margaret into her home. Margaret worked for her keep, but never got a chance to go to school. Still, she was safe. As she grew older, she found work as a domestic servant. The siblings she left in Ireland? She never saw them again.
New Orleans and New Beginnings (Sort Of)
Fast forward to 1835. Margaret, now 21, married a fellow Irishman named Charles Haughery. They joined the westward migration, hoping to build a life in the American West. They settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, seeking warmer weather. Margaret gave birth to a daughter, Frances. But just when things seemed to be looking up, tragedy struck again. Yellow fever returned, and both her husband and baby daughter died. Margaret was only 23.
Being an Irish widow in 1830s America was tough. Irish immigrants faced prejudice, seen as dirty, uneducated, and job-stealers. Their Catholic faith didn’t help either, as it fueled distrust from the Protestant majority.
Finding Her Purpose
Margaret found solace and support from the Sisters of Charity, a group of Catholic nuns. They gave her a place to stay and helped her land a job as a laundress at the St. Charles Hotel. Despite all the loss she’d endured, Margaret was determined to make a difference.
She started visiting the Female Orphan Asylum run by the Sisters of Charity and the Poydras Orphan Asylum, helping out and donating as much as two-thirds of her meager earnings. She worked extra hours at the orphanage and even hit up local businesses for donations.
The Daughters of Charity recognized her dedication and gave her an administrative role at the orphanage. Margaret, ever resourceful, bought two cows to start a dairy. She supplied milk to the orphanage and sold the extra door-to-door in the French Quarter. She even scrounged up leftover food from homes and businesses to feed the children.
Eventually, she left the hotel to manage the orphanage full-time. Her dairy business grew, and within two years, she had 40 cows and a profitable operation.
Building a Legacy
Margaret didn’t stop there. She helped open St. Theresa’s Orphan Asylum in 1840, largely funding it herself. She also worked with Sister Regis to build St. Theresa’s Church.
During the devastating yellow fever epidemic of 1853, Margaret was a force of nature. She went house to house, caring for the sick and promising dying mothers she’d look after their children. With no cure in sight, the death toll climbed, leaving countless children orphaned.
Margaret used the profits from her dairy to buy a failing bakery and transform it into Margaret Haughery & Company, one of the first steam-powered bakeries in the South. She sold her bread throughout the city and even exported it for profit. But she never forgot her mission. Every evening, she gave away unsold bread to the poor. She nursed the sick during yellow fever outbreaks and continued to support the city’s orphans, selling bread to orphanages at cost (which was basically free). She later owned the Klotz Cracker Factory.
Of the three siblings left behind in Ireland she only reunited with her brother Thomas when he visited her in New Orleans in 1857.
She also helped to open the Louise Home for Working Girls and the St. Elizabeth House of Industry.
St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum was built in 1861 by the Sisters of Charity and quickly filled with children orphaned by yellow fever and cholera. This asylum could house around 35 infants each year.
Standing Up to the Union Army
Even the Civil War couldn’t stop Margaret. When the Union Army occupied New Orleans in 1862, she continued to distribute food and milk to the needy, even beyond the barricades. When General Benjamin Butler warned her she could be shot, she challenged him, asking if President Lincoln wanted the poor to starve. Butler, impressed by her determination, gave her permission to pass through the lines.
"Our Margaret"
By the end of the Civil War, Margaret was a local hero. She built seven more orphanages, insisting they serve all children regardless of race, religion, or social class. Her fame even reached the Pope in Rome.
She also donated to Protestant and Jewish charities. In her will, she left money to numerous orphanages and the Daughters of Charity.
A City Mourns
Margaret fell ill in 1882. The city rallied around her, showing their appreciation. She received a crucifix and blessing from the Pope. When she died on February 9, 1882, it was front-page news.
Her body was laid in state at St. Vincent Infant Asylum. The funeral was a major event. All stores and businesses closed. The mayor led the procession, the Archbishop presided over the mass, and lieutenant governors helped carry her casket. She was buried with her friend Sister Francis Regis.
Later, in 1971, their communal tomb was moved to a mausoleum vault at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. Margaret’s final resting place is an unmarked vault numbered 18A on Mary Magdalene Corridor.
She left her estate to the orphanages and the Daughters of Charity. It’s estimated she gave away $600,000 to charity. She left the bakery to her foster son, Bernard Klotz.
A Lasting Tribute
The city immediately planned a statue to honor her. Unveiled in 1884, it was only the second statue in the U.S. to honor a woman. It shows her in her shawl, hair in a bun, with her arm around a child. The statue, "Margaret’s Place," stands where Clio Street intersects with Prytania and Camp Streets.
St. Vincent’s Today
St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum expanded in 1890, doubling its capacity. It operated as an orphanage and home for unwed mothers until the 1970s. After closing, the building sat abandoned for years.
In 1994, it was purchased and turned into the St. Vincent’s Guest House, a budget-friendly hostel.
In 2021, it was transformed again into the upscale Hotel Saint Vincent. Located in the Lower Garden District, the hotel boasts luxury amenities and is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of children who died there during the yellow fever epidemic. Guests have reported seeing them in the hallways, sitting on beds, and hearing giggling within the walls. Some have even seen the apparition of a nun.