Rosie's Place

Rosie's Place relies solely on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations and does not accept any city, state or federal funding.

Tiernan toured soup kitchens and shelters in New York, Baltimore, and Chicago and found homeless women were underserved in each place.

[7][6][8][9][10] In 1977, Rosie's Place moved to a five-story brownstone on Washington Street in Boston's South End, despite opposition from the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association (WSANA).

[3][7][5][8][9][6] On April 29, 1984, one week after its ten-year anniversary, Rosie's Place caught fire, which destroyed two floors, caused damage worth $50,000, and displaced 50 women.

Tiernan didn't publicly blame anyone but in a personal letter that's part of her archival material, stated, “We were, in the lexicon of the ‘hood, torched.”[7][6][11] Rosie's turned the Washington Street location into housing for 13 formerly homeless women.

[9] In 1986, the Rosie's Place shelter was rebuilt at 889 Harrison Ave, on the land of the original Warwick House, from private and nonprofit donations.

Additions to the building included a new lobby, a larger dining room, showers, telephones, computers, counseling offices, laundry facilities, job boards, and a food pantry.