History

The Villa, formerly known as St. Mary's Villa for Children and Families, was founded in 1911 as an orphanage for boys by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In 1936, the orphanage moved to the spacious, historic grounds of the Lindenwold Estate in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Over the years, we developed a strong program to meet the physical, psychological and emotional needs of our youth. We also made it a priority to involve our youths' families and communities.

In 2001, St. Mary's Villa for Children and Families combined resources with Holy Family Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, and developed a reputation as a preeminent provider of services to abused and neglected children in the greater Philadelphia area.

Today, the Villa operates as a program of The Bridge, an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC). PHMC is a nonprofit public health institute that builds healthier communities through partnerships with government, foundations, business and community-based organizations. It has served the Greater Philadelphia region since 1972 as a facilitator, developer, intermediary, manager, advocate and innovator in the field of public health. PHMC has become one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation.