Firmin Desloge Hospital facts for kids
Firmin Desloge Hospital is a hospital located in St. Louis, Missouri. It first opened its doors in 1932. The hospital was started by the Jesuits of Saint Louis University and the Sisters of Saint Mary. It was named after a kind person named Firmin V. Desloge, who gave money to build it. The hospital was created to help people who were poor and anyone else who needed medical care.
The hospital is on Grand Avenue. For many years, Firmin Desloge Hospital was the main building for the St. Louis University Medical Center. A new hospital building was opened in 2020.
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History of the Hospital
How Firmin Desloge Hospital Started
In February 1930, Saint Louis University received a large gift of $1 million from Firmin Vincent Desloge. He was part of the Desloge Family in America. In his will, he left money to build a new hospital for St. Louis University. This new hospital would replace the older St. Mary's Hospital. Firmin Desloge's wife, Lydia Desloge, also gave $100,000 to build a chapel next to the hospital.
The hospital building was designed by architects Study, Farrar and Majors, along with Arthur Widmer. They designed it in a style called Modern Gothic Revival. Building work began in the fall of 1930. The total cost was estimated to be $1.25 million. The first stone of the hospital was officially laid on June 22, 1931.
The building is ten stories tall, reaching 250 feet high. It shows the Modern Gothic Revival style. The bottom two floors are covered with light-colored stone. The building has pointed arches and tall, thin columns. The top of the building has a steep, sloped roof covered in copper.
The hospital was officially opened on November 3, 1933. At the opening ceremony, Firmin Desloge's son, Firmin (III), mentioned that the roof was covered in lead. Lead was how his family made their money. He said it was "a good cap on things."
The hospital's chapel, called Desloge Chapel, was designed by a famous architect named Ralph Adams Cram. It has beautiful stained-glass windows made by Emil Frei and sculptures by John Angel. The chapel was officially opened later that same year.
How the Hospital Operated
The Sisters of St. Mary helped run the new hospital. It had 206 beds. Most rooms were for two patients, and some were private rooms. This was different from many hospitals at the time, which often had large open wards. Firmin Desloge Hospital was also special because it served African Americans. It even had a nursing school for African American women.
In 1959, Saint Louis University took over running Firmin Desloge Hospital completely. At this time, Firmin Desloge Hospital and other nearby buildings were all renamed Saint Louis University Hospitals.
In 1983, the Desloge family gave more money to light up the hospital's copper roof. This was to celebrate the hospital's 50th anniversary.
Over time, the hospital needed more modern spaces and equipment. So, a new part of the hospital was built right behind the original Firmin Desloge Hospital. This new section cost $39.1 million. The first patients moved into the new part on January 30, 1988.
In 1998, Saint Louis University sold the hospital and its chapel to a company called Tenet Healthcare Corp.
In 2015, the university bought the hospital back. Then, they gave it to SSM Health. SSM Health is a healthcare system sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. The hospital became known as SSM St. Louis University Hospital.
The original hospital tower is still used today. It holds doctor's offices and administrative spaces. The unique copper-covered roof is a well-known landmark in St. Louis. It is a special part of the City of St. Louis's skyline.
The Hospital's Future
Plans for the Hospital Building
As of October 2015, SSM Health planned to spend $500 million to rebuild and make the hospital bigger. News reports mentioned that one idea was to tear down the original 1933 hospital tower. However, SSM officials said they had not decided on that. Christopher Desloge, a descendant of the Desloge family, started an effort to save the hospital building and chapel. His ideas included using it as a museum about the African American experience in healthcare in St. Louis.
Many groups supported saving the hospital. These included the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. The executive director of the Landmarks Association said the buildings were very important to St. Louis architecture. He also said the building would likely be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In February 2016, 31 groups sent a letter to SSM urging them to save the hospital. These groups included the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Institute of Architects. The Foundation for Commercial Philanthropy, a non-profit group from Christopher Desloge's family, offered to rent several floors of the tower. They wanted to create a non-profit center there. They also planned to raise $15 million to $20 million to help. Desloge and Andrew Weil from the Landmarks Association said this would help SSM financially.
In May 2016, the Landmarks Association called Firmin Desloge Hospital and Chapel the most endangered historical buildings in the city.
In September 2016, the St. Louis City Planning Commission met to review SSM's plans. SSM proposed to fix up the Desloge Tower to hold medical offices. A representative from SSM Health said it was "highly likely" that the 15-story French Gothic Revival Desloge tower would be turned into office space.
In November 2016, St. Louis University shared a $750 million plan for a large area in midtown St. Louis. This area included the Desloge Hospital Tower. The plan included spaces for medical and educational uses, offices, and training facilities. It also covered classrooms, labs, and research areas. The planning commission approved the plan without any objections. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, the famous Firmin Desloge tower along Grand Boulevard seemed safe. The plan did not include tearing it down.
