With only a much smaller St. Joseph’s Center for Prayer and occasional retreats, the property sat mostly dormant for nearly a quarter of a century. It was in 1997 that the historic complex took on new life when a group of local citizens began the process of acquiring its ownership. What is now called St. Joseph’s Center for Community Service began as the dream of the organization’s founders who saw the daunting task of preserving and restoring the property as a spiritual mission.

St. Joseph’s Center for Community Service is a vast, varied, and valuable asset hidden away in the rural landscape adjacent to Clayton, Delaware. Roughly, it serves to provide venue for community service programs and activities. It has filled that role since its inception, carrying on a legacy which began in 1896 when the Josephite Order of the Catholic Church established the St. Joseph’s Industrial School for boys.

Governing the project yet today is a Board of Directors made up of local residents who contribute their skills and experience in areas such as leadership, finance, volunteer management, fund-raising, and programming.