St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-22
THE OLD ST. JOSEPH,S HOSPITAL
Is BEING PULLED
DOWN,
BUT 1T WILL BE REPLACED
BY ONE OF THE FINEST HOSPL
TAILS IN THE WHOLE
COUNTRY.
HISTORY OF THE OLD BUILDING
A Brook Ran Through the GrOun0
Years Ago in Which Those
Now Aged Played.

Work was commenced yesterday
on the tearing down of one of the
oldest and most venerable of the
city's landmarks-the original st.
Joseph's hospital building at the
corner of West Ninth and Exchange
streets. The removal of this monu-
ment of the early days of st. Paul
is for the purpose of giving place on
the same site to a new and hand
some building, the plans for which
We're prepared by c. II. Johnston,
architect, and the contract for it's
construction let on Friday to P. H.
Donovan & Son.
The approximate cost of the new
structure is estimated at $4,000. 1t
is to be built of pressed brick, and
will be three stories in height above
the basement, giving it an eleva-
ton of forty-six feet The frontage
on Exchange street will be seventy
five feet, and the depth of the
building eighty feet. The plan is in
the prevailing chaste and classic
style of architecture, and the inter-
ior will be in oil-finished hardwood,
tiling and marble. The several floors
are to be partitioned into separate
apartments, each provided with
bath, lavatory and other appur-
tenances, the open wards being con-
fined to the other buildings now in
use. A special feature of the new
hospital will be a large surgical or
operating hall which in appoint
ments and adaptation to its purpose
will be, it is claimed, equal to those
celebrated hospitals of Boston from
which suggestion was taken.
The hospital is being built, under
the direction of Archbishop Ireland,
by the Sisters of ST. Joseph, who
will have charge and conduct it on
it's completion. Eminent physicians
of this city will constitute the med
ical advisory board as heretofore.
The purpose of it's building is not
only to provide additional hospital
facilities, but to make these as
nearly perfect as may be. The new
hospital promises to be a model Of
its kind, and as such win be much
needed and valuable addition to the
institutions of ST. Paul
The old gray limestone hospital,
with its moss-clad and ivy-grown
walls, whichare now fast disappearing
under the demolishing hands of the
leveler, has been for many years a
familiar object to the citizens of St.
Paul It's erection was begun in 1853
by the late Right Rev. Joseph Cretin,
~. L. Ia,
it was completed and first occupied
by the Sisters of st. Joseph in 1854 as
a hospital. 1t stood at the time COM
paratively alone.
THE ONLY OTHER BUILDING
of note in the vicinity during the first
few years being the old German Cath
olic church on the opposite side of
Exchange street. 1t was sed as a
hospital until 1859, when the Sisters
patients being few and their pupils
many, it was turned into a school and
academy for the use of the latter, the
former being removed to the Bench
street house. In 1862 on completion Of
the first wing of the present academy
on Nelson avenue, and the removal of
the school there. 1t became the or
phan asylum, with one side reserved
for hospital purposes. Before this
time couple of little square two
story brick buildings had been put up
near each end of the main building
and had been used as day schools.
These were now made adjuncts to the
hospital, one being for infectious or
contagious cases, and the other for a
short time as the residence of the late
DR.. j. A. Vervais, hospital surgeon,
and his family. On the latter's remov-
al the house he occupied became the
orphans school. About twenty-five
years ago the orphan asylum was re-
moved to lower town near st. Mary'S
church, and the old building became
and has since remained a hospital.
Fifteen years ago the little brick
buildings were torn down and the large
yellow brick hospital buildings now in
use We're erected, and the old stone
house was used as the hospital Sisters
domicile In early days the land adj
joining the hospital grounds was q
sWampy area and q large brook Of
spring water ran through them and
down Exchange street Many of the
present citizens, now staid and gray
bearded, used to wade and paddle I'M
that brook When tney were boys anu
send up their shouts against the GRIM
looking hospital walls, and catch the
echo as it returned. They are forty
two years old now, those old walls, as
they pass from view forever. The hos
pitaI block will look strangely unfa-
miliar to the old settler without them,
but the march of progress presses ineX1
orably and irresistibly forward, and
age and decrepitude are constantly giy-
ing way before the advance of youth
and vigor The old stone hospital build<
ing would be the more picturesque, but
the new one will be much the more or
namental and useful and better suited
to the spirit of the age. a