The original main entrance was located on the New Jersey Avenue side,[1] and was constructed from carved white sandstone.

[1] In its original function as a boarding home and religious institute for the Sisters of Mercy, the main entrance of the building opened onto a long corridor with a cement floor.

To the left of this was a dining hall which ran along the entire length of the building on the North Carolina Avenue side and had nine large windows.

After walking upstairs near the back end of the building, a hallway on the right led to the bedrooms and communal rooms belonging to the sisters.

The hallway leading left went towards the chapel, where the vestry rooms and apartments for clergy were located through a small doorway behind the altar.

[8] Hallett's redesign left the building's roof and exterior walls intact, but the latter were painted a light beige color.

Work carried out on the building included the creation of new bathrooms, kitchens, lighting fixtures, heating and air conditioning, wood flooring, and a lobby.

[9]: 52  In 1852, a group of the Sisters of Mercy from Pittsburgh began working in the Archdiocese of Baltimore (which then encompassed the District of Columbia) and operated the Washington Infirmary hospital.

[10]: 66  By December 1899, the Sisters were located at 310 East Capitol Street and were planning for the construction of a new building for the home on North Carolina Avenue.

[1] Work began on the St. Catherine's Home project on March 21, 1900, when a small group of sisters and prominent Catholic citizens gathered to break the ground on the site.