Pensacola Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pensacola Hospital
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Pensacola, Florida |
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| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | A. O. Von Herbulis (Albert Olszewski) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002373 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1982 |
The Pensacola Hospital is an old building in Pensacola, Florida. It was once a very important hospital. People also know it as the Old Sacred Heart Hospital. In 1982, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special building because of its history.
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The Hospital's History
The Pensacola Hospital first opened in September 1915. It was the very first Catholic hospital in Florida. A group of caring women called the Daughters of Charity helped build it. This religious group started in France way back in 1633. They were dedicated to helping people who were poor or sick. They spent a lot of money to make sure this hospital could open.
Building the Hospital
The Evans Brothers Construction company from Birmingham, Alabama, built the hospital. It took them one year to finish the building. The hospital was designed in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like old European castles or churches. The Daughters of Charity wanted this new hospital to give the people of Pensacola much better health care.
Before this hospital, Pensacola only had small clinics in regular houses. If someone had a serious illness, doctors often sent them all the way to New Orleans for special treatments. But with the Pensacola Hospital, the city got its first modern facilities. This included places for surgery, X-rays, and checking for germs.
The Daughters of Charity believed in "service to all." This meant everyone should get care. So, a whole section of the hospital was set aside for the Creole and Colored population. This made sure they could also get hospital care.
The Architect and Design
An architect named A.O. Von Herbulis designed the hospital. He was from Austria and moved to the United States. He used ideas from old English Gothic buildings. For example, he added Tudor arches and special stone work around the front door. He also included battlements, which are like the tops of castle walls. His design created a lasting and important building for health care.
Name Change and New Uses
In 1948, the hospital's name changed to Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola. This was something the original leader, Mother Margaret O'Keefe, had wanted. After 50 years in its original stone building, the hospital moved to a new location in 1965. The new Sacred Heart Hospital continued to grow and use new technology.
After the hospital moved out, a private school used the old building from 1969 to 1978. But the building wasn't kept up well, so the school left. In 1980, a company called Tower East Group Inc. bought the property. They wanted to save the historic hospital building for the future.
What the Building is Like Today
Today, the old Pensacola Hospital building is home to different businesses. It has some restaurants and even a local theater group. Many private offices are also located there.
The Tower East Group Inc. has been working to restore and fix up this historic building since 1980. They follow special guidelines for preserving old buildings. The outside of the building still looks very much like it did when it was first built. Many original details, like the fancy oak entrance doors, are still there.
Currently, the building also houses a Montessori school and a pizza restaurant.
