[1] In 2015 the building was leased to the Infant Mystics society which began using it as a meeting lodge, renaming the place Cotton Hall.

[3][4] The yellow fever epidemics of 1837 and 1839 had created the need for an organization to care for the many orphaned children left afterward.

[3] Designed by Henry Moffatt, a Philadelphia architect, the cornerstone for the orphanage was laid on July 4, 1845.

The upper tier of the portico features an elaborate ironwork balustrade and latticework.

[5] Minor alterations were made to the building during the late 19th century, the rear portion was expanded in 1924, and a full-scale renovation was completed in 1950.