The Reverend Doctor William Alfred Passavant, inspired by his visit to a home for epileptics in Bielefeld, Germany, resolved to found a similar facility in this country. Following his death in 1894, his son, the Reverend William Passavant, found a letter written by his father, a check in the amount of $55.00 and a list of names of those who had contributed to the Reverend Doctor’s cause. To make his father’s dream a reality, the Reverend Passavant converted a former home for orphan girls into what became Passavant Memorial Homes. Overlooking the town of Rochester, Pennsylvania and boasting a beautiful view of the Ohio River, Passavant Memorial Homes housed approximately 40 children and adults with epilepsy. The Protestant Order of Sisters of Charity provided the services under the direction of the Reverend J.H. Kline, a former patient at Bielefeld and one of the few to have “recovered” from the mysterious disease of epilepsy.

The development of anticonvulsive medications enabled individuals with epilepsy to live in their own homes and therefore prompted the Board of Directors of Passavant Memorial Homes to re-assess community needs and re-evaluate Passavant’s mission. The region’s network of human services was examined and a substantial need for services for those with developmental disabilities was identified. Using this information, Passavant Memorial Homes re-focused its mission, ultimately leading to offering support services to the developmentally disabled and obtaining licensing from the Department of Public Welfare in 1981.