Grace Hill Settlement House history

When Holy Cross mission merged with Grace Church Mission in 1910, the clinic relocated to the parish house next to Grace Church on the corner of Hadley and Benton and was continued as a project of the newly formed Holy Cross Corporation.

By 1912, the Holy Cross Dispensary staff started an outreach program to bring affordable health care to children and adults in their homes.

By 1914, the dispensary had grown to include a baby-feeding clinic and a milk program.

In 1948, Holy Cross Corporation became Grace Hill House, Inc.

In 1963, due to United Way funding requirements, Grace Hill became two separate agencies under the Grace Hill umbrella.

In 1986, based on an assessment of the most pressing community needs, the St Peter’s Outreach Committee sought the help of Grace Hill Settlement House in St Louis to begin planning for an inner-city residential facility that would provide shelter and support to young, pregnant women.

After two years of planning by the St Peter’s group and reconstruction of the Benton building by Grace Hill with the financial support of St Peter’s and the Junior League of St Louis, the doors of The Haven of Grace opened in October 1988.

By 1994, demand for the agency’s services had expanded rapidly and the need to provide shelter not only for young pregnant women, but for young, pregnant mothers with small children began to emerge.

In 1998, The Haven established its unique Ten-Year Aftercare Program in response to the need of former residents for an on-going “family support system” and assistance in the community as they worked to achieve their independence goals.

In 2003, The Haven of Grace completed its first capital campaign and moved to a newly constructed facility located in the same neighborhood as its original location.