Originally called St. Mary Training School for Boys, Maryville was established in 1883 on 880 acres north of Des Plaines, Illinois. The first Archbishop of Chicago, Patrick Feehan, created the school as a home for boys - mostly orphaned and roaming the streets of Chicago. The idea was to give these youth an education and the opportunity to learn a trade that would serve later in life.
As times changed, so did St. Mary's. The orphanage became co-educational in 1911 and eventually included a grade school and a four year high school, both of which operated through the late sixties. Through epidemics, world wars and economically difficult times, Maryville was always there for children in need.
Today, Maryville's focus is still on children as well as the preservation of the family. Maryville has established a number of new programs to meet the changing needs of society. Among these innovative programs are the Maryville Crisis Nursery in Chicago; the Maryville Farm Campus for Young Women in Durand, Illinois; the Maryville Scott Nolan Child and Family Behavioral Health Center in Des Plaines' the Maryville Scott Nolan Center MISA Program for adolescents with a mental illness and substance abuse disorder along with other programs for young people with developmental challenges; parenting teens and their children; and the Scott Nolan psychiatric hospital for children, adolescents and young adults.
2008 marks Maryville's 125th anniversary in the service of children and their families. We invite you to learn more about our 125th anniversary celebration.