Hidden Bricks: Providence Academy research and pre-game

Continuing our journey into Hidden Bricks, the importance of the Providence Academy to the founding of the Hidden Brick Company and even the city of Vancouver, Washington itself cannot be overstated. 

Gee, I can't imagine this place is rumored to be haunted.

Built in 1873, when it was erected the Providence Academy was the largest brick building north of San Francisco. Now, the Historic Trust actually claims that Mother Joseph TAUGHT Lowell Hidden how to make bricks!

Nope, not creepy at all.

"By 1871, Mother Joseph had secured the resources needed to start construction of the Academy on a seven-acre parcel of land located just outside the west entrance of what had become the first U.S. Army post in the Pacific Northwest with the change to American ownership in 1849. She designed the building and supervised its construction, even teaching a man named Lowell Hidden, who later founded the Hidden Brick Company, to make the one million bricks needed for the project." (More here: Historic Trust History)

Records in the Hidden file at the historical museum repeat the story that Mother Joseph herself asked L. M. Hidden to found a brick company to make the bricks for her grand vision.

Somewhere along the way the project soured, and there was a rumored disagreement that ended up with some of the bricks said to be cursed. A brief Columbian Newspaper article discussing the rumored haunting and the supposed "curse" placed on the bricks:

"The building was built with bricks from the old Hidden Brickyard. 'The story goes that it ended up more expensive to make the bricks than Mother Joseph originally contracted for, so Hidden tried to up the price, and Mother Joseph refused and made them honor the contract,' Maureen said. 'So the story is that the bricks are cursed.' (see: Here)

Who was Mother Joseph?

Born in 1823 Quebec, Canada as Esther Pariseau, she was the first female architect in British Columbia, and she was so important to the state of Washington a statue of her is one of the two representing Washington State in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington DC. She named herself Sister Joseph after her father. She was a really big deal in these parts. 

In 1856 Augustin-Magloire Blanchet, the bishop of the new Diocese of Nesqually (now the Archdiocese of Seattle), approached the Sisters of Providence in Montreal.  Mother Joseph was chosen to lead four companions as missionaries to the Pacific NW Territories region. 

From Wikipedia:

"A small cabin served as both their convent and first school, which opened 14 April 1857. They accepted into their care several orphans and an elderly man who was homeless. Bishop Blanchet gave them two acres on the St. James Mission Claim, and on this land a small group of multi-purpose buildings sprang up. The Sisters named their new home Providence of the Holy Angels. Over the next few years, it housed the convent, novitiate, and infirmary, an orphanage for both boys and girls, a boarding and day school, rooms for the elderly and insane and the first St. Joseph Hospital. The Sisters also cared for the clergy of St. James Cathedral, as well as visiting the poor and sick in their homes."

Mother Joseph's statue in Washington DC. Her tools are at her feet. Photo credit Wikipedia, public domain.

Mother Joseph was responsible for the completion of eleven hospitals, seven academies, five schools for Native American children, and two orphanages throughout an area that now encompasses Washington, northern Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The State of Washington celebrates her birthday as an official state holiday on April 16, 1999. She was also inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Yee-haw! Mother Joseph died from a brain tumor in 1902 and is buried in nearby Mother Joseph Cemetery (St. James Acres). 

The nonprofit Historic Trust purchased the Providence Academy in 2015 for $5 million, with the final price tag for the expected decade long renovation to be around $15 million. The first rounds of upgrades have included work on the roof, heating/cooling and electrical systems. To cover these costs, the Trust sold 3.85 acres of parking lot space to an Oregon based development company. Marathon Acquisition and Development plans on turning this into 134 apartments with a 4,000 rooftop terrace, a development called the Aegis. 

Part of the old Academy used to be the El Presidente Mexican restaurant. It was demolished in 2019 after being closed for three years to make room for the apartments that are part  of the controversial development plan for the area. The Academy was built in the 1873 but the restaurant itself was built about a century later of local materials (Hidden bricks) on Academy grounds yet wasn't technically a historic building. Despite that, an archaeologist was on site for the restaurant's demolition. 

Here's a photo of what it looked like when they were getting ready to do the demolition. The restaurant is in the foreground by the firetrucks, with the Academy in the background:

The area where the restaurant used to stand is designed to be a public plaza in the Aegis project. The Hidden bricks from the restaurant were saved and cleaned by Portland's Rebuilding Center and will be used in or on the new Aegis buildings in red brick masonry to compliment the Hidden bricks of the Academy. So, basically in a few years there will be some new apartments available for rent that use Hidden bricks in the community. When can I move in?(For more, see Here!)

There are some really great photos in the Providence Image Gallery of the Hiddens and the grounds: Providence Archives - Hidden.

Here's the really exciting news: Dave and I are going to be officially touring the grounds and hopefully will be able to take photos inside. Yep, we're going in the oldest Hidden Brick structure still standing, it's haunted as hell and rumored to be cursed.

AWESOME.

Also awesome was snagging some 1871-1905 OG Hiddens (obviously reclaimed, old mortar traces) for a few bucks at an antique store downtown.

...and because I've lost my mind completely over antique bricks and continue to be surprised by things surrounding them (yet another surprise regarding the found brick from nowhere currently unfolding, stay tuned), I added one to my altar. Why not? (Another brilliant A.P. Strange suggestion.) Chaos witching for the win.

All Hail Brick Mojo!

The same day I booked the Providence Academy tour I went in search of any remaining of the plum trees the Hidden Family planted in 26th and Main.

From The Columbian:

What I found was an entirely different sort of tree, and a dead end.

Red Oaks at Main and Fourth Plain (the Street formerly known as 26th)

The person at the historical museum let me know that the 1960s were brutal to downtown buildings, and that's why basically the only Hidden brick buildings still standing are preserved because the Hiddens themselves owned them. The city went crazy razing the old city and much was lost.

Additionally, I have discovered another stamped local brick that I believe to be a Hidden brick as well, as local people have been digging the two stamped styles up together. There's one on eBay for a ridiculous price, but it provided the info that this is stamped with the "Brick Manufacturers Association" logo. I hear there's a few up the road in Felida I can go check out.

Oh... it will be mine.

Where I discovered they were local? A Facebook group I'd been in for years and even posted in. Another fun synchro was when I actually looked at their group head:

This group also had another really interesting tidbit I'm hoping to verify: