History
The Full Story
History of the Hope Haven Campus
The collection of ornate Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings never fail to capture our attention and our imagination in driving by the Hope Haven Campus on Barataria Boulevard in Marrero. Truly an architectural treasure, the campus features signature arches and colonnades, stained glass windows, cupolas, courtyards with fountains and bell towers. Perhaps more importantly, since its inception in 1916, the Hope Haven campus has housed a variety of vital programs and services dedicated to the families of our community.
The history and purpose of its foundation by Father Peter Wynhoven is inspiring. Father Wynhoven migrated to New Orleans from Holland in 1904 as a seminarian and was ordained in 1909. Determined to improve the lives of needy children, they conceived of and completed plans for developing an industrial and mechanical vocational school for orphaned and needy boys aged 12 to 18 years. Ground was broken in 1924, and the Diboll Administration Building opened in 1925, followed by the Marcus Feingold Mechanical Arts Building in 1931. Further expansion included dormitories, a gymnasium and a swimming pool. Equipped with the skills they learned while at Hope Haven such as agriculture, printing, bookbinding, and carpentry, young men had the necessary skills to join in the workforce when they exited the institution.
Generous donations by the Jewish community helped make Hope Haven a reality 100 years ago. Several of the main buildings are named for their Jewish benefactors including the Marcus Feingold Mechanical Arts building which will become the gateway building to the Aquatics Center - linking past and future.
Reimagining Potential
Through the dedication of State Representative Pat Connick along with other community and government leaders, the aging structures are being stabilized and secured. Now is the time to reimagine its potential to serve the community.
Hope Haven Redevelopment Site Plan (2023)
Gallery: Pre-renovation Hope Haven buildings
A renaissance on Barataria Boulevard.
The Aquatics Center is part of a larger redevelopment plan for the Hope Haven campus. The campus, founded in 1925 for the education of area youth, is home to nine stunning buildings constructed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Largely disused since the 1990s, the campus had seen better days, its buildings slowly succumbing to the elements.
However, a renaissance has begun. In 2014, the St. John Bosco Chapel on the east side of the campus was renovated and redeveloped as a non-profit adult health care center. Today it is a hub of community activity. On the west side of campus just south of the future Aquatics Center, Jefferson Parish Government completed construction of the Hope Haven Fitness Trail, a nearly 2-mile walking path, offering a new recreational and fitness opportunity for area residents.
The Aquatics Center is a part of the next phase of this renaissance, returning the Campus to serve the community.
Repurposed St. John Bosco Chapel
Video: Completed Hope Haven Fitness Trail
“For the past 100 years, this treasured campus has served our community. We are planning now for the next 100 years.”
-Pat Connick, Louisiana State Senator