A highly visible landmark in the Christian Hill Historical Neighborhood of Alton, IL, Loretto Towers dates from the 19th century when the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood established an orphans' asylum in 1884 in the James H. Lea mansion on Prospect Street across from SS Peter & Paul Church (the Old Cathedral). The need was so great that an addition was built at the northeast side of the home in
1896 and a second addition on the southwest side a decade later. The mansion was torn down to make room for a third unit in 1908. By WWI, 250 children were crowded into the three-story turreted building. When the Catholic Children's Home built a larger facility farther up State Street in 1923, the building was renamed Loretto Home, which the nuns maintained first as a home for unmarried working girls and later a retirement home for women. In 1972, Edmund Morrissey Sr. and his wife Trixie bought the property and transformed it into Loretto Towers, the first condo conversion in the area. Each of the 24 units has its own distinctive design and unique features like original tin ceilings, parquet floors, loft bedrooms and dramatic views. The owners association, membership made up of all owners, is incorporated as a non-profit. It is governed by the LT condominium covenant and rules & regulations as well as the Illinois Condo Act.
