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The Past...
Jubilee House, located on Clifford Street in Hartford's south end, was built in
1962 as a convent for the Sisters of Saint Joseph (about twenty at the time) who
taught next door at Saint Augustine School.
The building, designed by the renowned architectural firm of Russell
Gibson vonDohlen, was constructed around a beautiful central courtyard, with
bushes, flowers and a small rectangular pool.
Its full-length arched windows were recognized as a distinctive feature,
as was the brightly colored stained glass of the chapel windows, designed and
executed by Jean Jacques Duval.
In 1980, the parish of Saint Augustine sold the building to the State of
Connecticut. For the next fifteen
years it was used as a group home by the Department of Mental Retardation.
In 1995 the adults who resided there were transferred to other facilities
and the building became vacant.
The Present...
When the residents vacated the building in 1995, the Sisters of Saint Joseph
began the year-long process of reclaiming the former convent.
Their dream was to reopen it as an educational center that would enrich
the lives of the people of the community, especially in the immediate
neighborhood of Barry Square. The
first step toward realizing this dream came in December of 1996, when the keys
to the building were given to the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
After granting the sisters a license to begin the center, the City of Hartford
received the property in a transfer from the State of Connecticut and
subsequently leased it to Jubilee House, Inc.
Today the facility is owned by the City of Hartford and operated as a
non-denominational 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation by the Sisters of Saint
Joseph.
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Between 1996 and 1999, the building underwent a complete renovation.
This was made possible by numerous grants and gifts, as well as by
enormous contributions of time and energy by volunteer groups and individuals.
As a result of the support of countless friends and benefactors, Jubilee
House today is a beautiful facility, unique in the south end of the city, which
serves both as a center for educational programs and activities and as a meeting
place for various groups whose mission is compatible with the mission of Jubilee
House.
The Future..
Jubilee House celebrated its tenth anniversary in October of 2007. It has
many distinctive features conducive to expanded activities as the future
unfolds:
--a meditation room, with brilliant stained glass windows, ample seating and a
small grand
piano, serves as a quiet area, meeting room, and worship and performance space;
--an interior courtyard, with an open garden anchored by a Peace Pole at its
center, a covered cloister area, a flagstone walk and
four mahogany benches, lends itself to outdoor activities, as well as to
quiet meditation;
--classrooms, a library, several small conference rooms, computer rooms, a
dining area and a fully equipped teaching kitchen round out the facilities for
classes, activities and meetings.
During its first ten years, Jubilee House has made a positive impact on
the Barry Square neighborhood by its presence as a community center, responding
to the needs of the people of the area.
We know that it is only beginning to reach its potential in improving the
quality of life for the people of the neighborhood and the city beyond.
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