Free art classes for low income children were originally held at the Jewish Union building at 422 Bainbridge Street. Due to increased enrollment, in 1906 the Graphic Sketch Club (as it was originally named) moved to new quarters at 740 Catharine Street. In 1916, Fleisher acquired the large building across the street, which had formerly been known as Saint Martin’s College for Indigent Boys. In 1922, Fleisher acquired the adjacent Romanesque church which had formerly been the Episcopal Church of the Evangelist. Fleisher converted the space to house his private collections of paintings and sculptures, and he made it available to neighborhood residents day and night as a quiet place for contemplation and reflection.

The Sanctuary, as Fleisher dubbed it, was open regularly and students were encouraged to study its works of art and draw from them. Students were also invited to frequent concerts and recitals, and they had access to the Steinway baby-grand piano. It was a unique kind of museum; eclectic, accessible and lively, open in the evening, with working people in mind.

If the studio classes were the body of Fleisher’s vision, the new Sanctuary was the soul. The use of the building for Fleisher’s own collections and as a haven for contemplation reflected Fleisher’s belief in the healing impact of art. The Sanctuary has been in use every day since Fleisher acquired the space and currently it is in need of conservation, restoration and considerable attention.