Our History

The building was founded in 1958 as a Catholic retreat, known as the Immaculata Retreat House. It remained such until the retreat closed in 2018. The property was subsequently acquired by Hartford HealthCare, and opened in late 2023 as The Ridge Recovery Center.

Although no longer a religious facility, the conversion to a center for recovery continues the longstanding tradition of hope and healing that has historically graced the property. At the retreat’s closing ceremonies in 2018, Father Jim Brobst referenced the untold number of people who had changed their perspective, led a better life, and experienced peace at the facility. While its ownership and primary purpose have changed, The Ridge remains committed to healing and improving lives, and bringing peace, as well as recovery, to those who seek its services.

While The Ridge Recovery Center is nonsectarian and welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds, some artwork from the facility’s tenure as a retreat has been preserved and remains on display. This includes some exterior statuary, as well as a mosaic mural of Stations of the Cross that encircles the walls in the center of the main building. Created by noted multimedia artist Leon Hovesepian, it is crafted of pink travertine marble and Venetian white glass. This beautiful artwork has been preserved to recognize the facility’s longstanding history as a place of inspiration, hope and healing. Hovsepian also designed the stained glass windows in The Sanctuary, the circular room at the center of the building now used for group activities.