November 3, 1856 - Mother Joseph leaves with her Sisters from Montreal to travel to Vancouver, WA at age 33 to serve the social and religious needs of the locals.

December 8, 1856 - Mother Joseph arrives in Vancouver, WA however no housing awaited them because the first group of Sisters sent to the area to construct it did not arrive.

February 22, 1857 - Mother Joseph and the Sisters built a two story cabin to use as a residence, a chapel, and a school. It had 4 windows and a glass paneled door, it’s attic was dormitory and a section of the downstairs was made into a chapel. Disputation over the ownership of the property was an overshadowing concern.

March 16, 1857 - The nuns educate their first student, thus the cabin they built becomes the first school in Washington. One month later, they house their first orphan.

1860 - The local census lists 37 orphans under the Sisters care, ages between 4 and 13.

1863, June 5 - Collectively called Providence Faubourg, the nuns established 7 charities in 7 years, each with a house on the property. This included housing for orphans and the mentally ill.

“Providence in Vancouver had reached a prophetic number of “seven” little houses in the seventh year of the mission. In those seven little houses, the sisters had forgotten themselves to the point that they had for their own use only a room off the kitchen and a dormitory in the church attic. When some of the pupils expressed the desire to enter the Province novitiate, the sisters knew that they had to have more space”

1873 - Building of the Providence Academy in Vancouver, WA begins.

“1873 it was time for Mother Joseph to plan something different from the seven little houses scattered about the mission property they lovingly called Providence Faubourg. When in the 1860’s, Mother Joseph had purchased the property bordered by Tenth, Twelfth, C and Reserve Streets she had had a vision. At that time the property was well out of the city. Not so in the 1870’s.”

September, 1874 - Providence Academy building begins to be occupied.

March, 1875 - Despite being unfinished, the Providence Academy chapel holds its first Sunday service.

1882- Mother Joseph spends entire year working on construction of the chapel, wanting to have it completed before the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows that would take place on September 25th of 1882. She was not able to complete the chapel within the time frame.

1883 - The Providence Academy’s chapel construction was completed, featuring woodwork hand carved over several years by Mother Joseph.

1885- Bishop Bourget passes away. He was the bishop that brought the Sisters of Providence to Vancouver, and is credited as the founder of the Sisters of Providence.

1895 - Mother Joseph held her golden jubilee (50th anniversary) of holy dedication and highlighted Providence Academy, her greatest endeavor.

1899 - After 55 years monumental effort, Mother Joseph’s incredible strength began to wane, though her commitment to Providence Academy did not.

January 19, 1902 - Mother Joseph passes away at age 79. With her final words she urged the Sisters to care for the needy without fear or hesitation.

Mother Joseph’s last words: "My dear Sisters, allow me to recommend to you the care of the poor in our houses, as well as those without. Take good care of them; have no fear of them; assist them and receive them. Then, you will have no regrets. Do not say: Ah! This does not concern me, let others see to them. My Sisters, whatever concerns the poor is always our affair."

October 12, 1962 - The Columbus Day Storm causes severe harm to Providence Academy and levels the Shrine of the Virgin Mary outside.

1966 - The shrine is rebuilt in it’s original location and the Academy honored its final graduating class. The iconic Academy bell was relocated to Issaquah until 1975.

1969 - The Academy was scheduled for demolition, but instead, the Hidden family, who had aided the initial construction, purchased it for commercial use.

1870- Development of the academy into a commercial building begins. At first it was occupied by small flea markets, gradually changing into hosting higher class clientele.

1975 - The Academy Bell returns from its storage in Issaquah.

2015 - With help from the community, Fort Vancouver National Trust (now the Historic Trust) purchased the building from the Hidden Family for restoration.

2017 - The providence academy is undergoing renovation. As the building is being refurbished, it will embrace its history within its new construction, and honor Mother’s Joseph’s ingenuity.