Born Esther Pariseau in 1823, the third of 12 children, in a farmhouse three miles from Saint-Martin, Laval, Quebec, this Canadian Religious Sister grew up to lead members of her congregation to the Pacific Northwestern United States where they established a network of schools and healthcare facilities to serve the American settlers in that new and remote part of the country. She was the first female architect in British Columbia, and she had a profound impact on what would become Washington Territory and later, Washington State.
This is the story of Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart, who became known as “The Builder” after she designed and supervised construction of 29 schools and hospitals in Washington, one of which was Seattle’s very first hospital.
