Our Father's House

Our Father's House was a shelter for unwed mothers turned reformatory school for wayward teenage girls that closed in 2003 when owner John Burt fled the city amid accusations of sexual misconduct with one of the girls in his charge.

Originally Our Father's House functioned as a shelter for pregnant women and new mothers. In exchange for following a strict set of religion-based rules, women were temporarily given a place to live and help with their babies , along with help obtaining education and employment, as they attempted to "get back on their feet" after hard times. The shelter was part of an anti-abortion ministry. It later evolved into a boarding school for teen girls.