What Is It Named After? Wartburg Orphans Farm School

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Before it was one of the best known senior care facilities in the Hudson Valley, Wartburg was famous as an orphanage, but the orphanage got its name from a castle that sheltered a wretched soul who would go on to found a global religious movement.

The Wartburg assisted living facility in Mount Vernon was founded in 1866 by the Lutheran church as an orphanage. The Wartburg Farm Orphanage eventually took on caring for the elderly as part of its mission. Today, the Wartburg no longer takes care of orphans, but seniors still find compassionate care at the campus and the facility is still a non-profit Lutheran organization.

It is perhaps fitting that the assisted living complex takes its name from the castle in Germany that once sheltered Martin Luther. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Center, Lutherans the world over know of the castle as the very place where Martin Luther made his translation of the Bible while in exile. Martin Luther hid out in the medieval complex under the alias of "Knight George" upon his return from the Diet of Worms in 1521 when he refused to recant what was considered heresy at the time, eventually changing history and sparking a religion.

Although the name of the Wartburg in the Hudson Valley pays homage to fascinating times, Wartburg Castle has a slightly less impressive nomenclature. It is believed that the castle (which tourists can still visit to this day) was most likely named for its prominent lookout tower.