Bay Pines Veterans Administration Home and Hospital Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bay Pines Veterans Administration Home and Hospital Historic District
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bay Pines, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 12000363 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 2012 |
The Bay Pines Veterans Administration Home and Hospital Historic District is a special area in Bay Pines, Florida. It is known as a historic district because it has important old buildings and sites. This district is located at 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard.
This area includes very old sites where native people lived long ago. It also has fourteen hospital buildings. These buildings were built starting in the 1930s. They are designed in a style called Mediterranean Revival. This style often uses features like red tile roofs and arched windows.
Today, the district is home to the Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Medical Center. This is a large hospital that helps people who have served in the military. It has 396 beds for patients. The hospital is also approved by an organization called CARF. This means it meets high standards for patient care.
The Bay Pines Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 2012. Being on this list means it is an important place in American history.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Bay Pines
How the Hospital Started
In January 1929, a new law was passed. This law allowed for a hospital to be built for veterans in the southeastern United States. Veterans are people who have served in the country's armed forces. Bay Pines was chosen as the perfect spot for this new hospital.
The first buildings for the hospital were finished in 1933. Just one year later, in 1934, the main office for the VA in the region moved to Bay Pines. The VA is a government group that helps veterans.
Growing Over Time
The VA office later moved away from Bay Pines for a while. However, it came back in 1998. Since the first buildings were completed, many more have been added. This is how the hospital complex grew into the large center it is today. It continues to serve veterans from all over.
Special Buildings: Building 11
One interesting building in the district is Building 11. Part of this building, called Building 54, was once a train station. It was built in 1933 by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Trains would arrive and depart from here.
The train station closed in 1967. Later, it was joined with another part, Building 11A. Both of these were then made part of Building 11. Today, Building 11 is used as the police station for the VA hospital.
