Veith House

Veith House
Neighbourhood

The former Halifax Protestant Children's Orphanage still stands today as it was rebuilt two years following the Halifax Explosion
Country  Canada
Province  Nova Scotia
Municipality Halifax Regional Municipality
Planning area Halifax Peninsula
Established 1857
Demolished by the Halifax Explosion 1917
Rebuilt 1919
Present at the time of the explosion One staff and twenty children
Number of survivors Six
Places in Nova Scotia

Veith House is a neighborhood house whose mission is to meet the needs of children, individuals and families, with empowerment as an ever present goal. It is located at 3115 Veith St in the North End of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is just down the hill from one of Halifax's landmarks, The Hydrostone.

History

Veith House's history dates back to the 1800s. The Halifax Protestant Orphanage (also known as the Protestant Orphan's Home) was in existence from 1857 to 1969. The orphanage was founded by Reverend Robert Fitzgerald Uniacke (rector of St. George Church) in 1857 and was previously located on North Park Street. This became home to a countless number of children, both girls and boys. The orphanage was relocated to Veith Street where it was destroyed in the Halifax Explosion in 1917, claiming the lives of both children and staff. Of the 21 people present in the building at the time of the explosion, only six survived. At this site, a monument has been erected commemorating the lives of the children and staff members lost in the disaster.

Post-explosion

Post-explosion, the orphanage was rebuilt, but by 1969 the orphanage closed its doors. The property was then transferred to the Halifax Children's Foundation, to be used as the Veith House Community Centre and is still running today.

Coordinates: 44°39′53″N 63°35′44″W / 44.66472°N 63.59556°W / 44.66472; -63.59556

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