Mother Joseph, born Esther Pariseau in 1823 in Quebec, Canada, was one of the founders of the Sisters of Providence in the Pacific Northwest. In 1856, Mother Joseph and four other Sisters of Providence from Montreal arrived at Fort Vancouver to begin their mission of caring for the pioneers of the Pacific Northwest.She was credited as the architect, financier, and construction boss in the building of eleven hospitals, seven academies, five Indian schools, and two orphanages. Mother Joseph died in 1902. In 1953 she was recognized and honored by the American Institute of Architecture as the Pacific Northwest's first architect.
The brick building now houses offices and businesses. It is also the setting for weddings, receptions, and other social occasions. The chapel, its curved arches rising up three stories to the ceiling, is quite beautiful. Mother Joseph carved the exquisite altar.
A young man was mowing the lawns while I was taking photos. You can see one of the lawn mowers and the plastic can for lawn clippings in the left side of the photograph.
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required of you (or your GPS receiver, if you are waymarking solo) and the place.