This impressive Bronx building was constructed in 1905-08 for the Messiah Home for Children, to serve as an orphanage for young children. This organization, begun in 1888, cared for poor children with one or no parents, on either a permanent or temporary basis. Originally housed in modest accommodations in Manhattan, the group needed larger facilities by the turn of the century. In 1902, Standard Oil magnate Henry H. Rogers donated a large property in the Bronx, previously the estate of Lewis G. Morris. Shortly afterward, Rogers also underwrote the construction of this building, designed by the prominent Boston architect Charles Brigham.