Update: The nursing home that was housed in the building for many decades abruptly closed without advanced notice on Friday, December 15, 2023. Residents were bused to other nursing homes and employees were left without their final paychecks. Heavily damaged by fire on December 2, 2024.
I guess I never posted my pictures of the former DePaul Hospital from over a decade ago, so I went back early on Saturday to photograph the massive structure designed by the firm of O’Meara and Hills, opening in 1930.
It was commissioned by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who also operated St. Vincent’s Insane Asylum and Marillac College at one point.
I get a kick out of the building since it is Italian Romanesque Revival, like we see in Milan, Italy, and other portions of the peninsula north of the Apennine Mountains.
There were awkward attempts at modernization in 1958, and ultimately it was closed for a northwestern location in St. Louis County in 1977.
They were the first hospital to be lead by women at one point in St. Louis history.
It replaced the Mullanphy Hospital, severely damaged by a tornado.
The front entrance portal, now blocked by some incongruous pine trees, features a keystone of St. Louis in bas-relief.
The infant rondel below comes straight from the Ospedale dei Innocenti in Florence.
Nice pix, Chris. Although I am born in St. Louis, I cannot help but say that the architecture there certainly is better than here in coastal California. There are some high spots here, but St. Louis remains a better place.
MY NAME IS SARAH JANE DONOVAN AND I WAS BORN IN DEPAUL HOSPITAL IN ST.LOUIS, MO. ON JULY 21, 1972.
MY DR WAS THAT OF FULTON SAIER M D. I NEVER GOT TO MEET HIM BUT MY MOTHER HAS TOLD ME STORIES. IF ANY OF THE OLD NURSES FROM THAT HOSPITAL IN 1972, JULY AROUND THAT PARTICULAR DAY I WAS BORN. I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF YOU IF NOT A FEW TO MEET YOU AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING MY MOM, LYDIA MARTIN BRING ME IN THIS WORLD.
I agree with fellow Californian Mark P that old St. Louis has the better architecture.( But our new home has the best weather). And I still am a St. Louis booster. And I love this site. Chris, please include the neighborhood or cross streets so I can orient myself better. And more north St. Louis, especially Walnut Park, for me.
Thank you! Unfortunately, streets are missing so much that sometimes I have a hard time figuring out where I am. I can look at Walnut Park more (though technically some of these recent photos are in the “official” city-recognized neighborhood of “Mark Twain”–did anyone call it that back in the day?).
Growing up in North St. Louis 1940’s through late 1960-70s when leaving home we were always known as Walnut Park…..
between Kingshighway to Emerson and Lillian to Calvary Cemetery. Throughout the years whenever being asked or asking where grew up the response always is Walnut Park with that knowing look and smile. It was a bonding moment filled with memories of old mature trees, flower bulbs, bushes and plantings from grandma’s; houses big and small, brick, framed, two and four family flats filled with immigrants, first generation Americans and beyond…we really were living in a classic melting pot of languages, traditions and stories to share. Helping neighbors was a norm among households and neighbors knew neighbors…watchful eyes sometimes beat us home with news of pushing each other into hedges on walk home from school etc. We grew up with everything we ever needed…or so we felt. Walnut Park was a working family’s middle class neighborhood some with gardens of flowers, some with gardens of vegetables or both plus a lot of love and caring and pride.
I love these memories! Where did you go to school?
Look closely above the windows above the front door, there is two stone lions, I have tried to photograph them before, they are way up there…
I have also noticed there are a lot of windows missing on the top two floors, and there is an attached building in the back that is boarded up..
I noticed those windows, too, and those have been like that for a LONG time. I can’t explain it. At least that building in the back is boarded up now–when I first saw it, it was completely open to the elements and trespassers.
That makes me want to cry since I can only imagine that that attached emphasis on attached building in the back was our seven story nursing school in another post I mentioned myself and around 30 other young women graduated from their three year nursing program in 1966 that attached building turned out so many professional nurses working for decades in St. Louis. Oh that makes my heart hurt.
I also lived 35 years in coastal California after being born in DePaul Hospital,twhere my grandfather was among chief medical personnel, and raised in STL. What is going on with that building now?
Most of it is now a retirement community, though portions are abandoned.
I was born in the Former DePaul Hospital. Year 1953.
Born in DePaul in 1948 on Kings Highway down the street from Public School Stadium (PSS) which is gone now. Also close to White Castle at Natural Bridge & Kings Highway. We lived in North County but went to PSS for the Shriners Circus which came each year to that location for several days.
Going the other direction, South on Kings Highway at MLK Blvd was a multi floor Sears store where the parents bought our yearly pair of new shoes each Christmas.
And further South was Forest Park.
The god ole days.
Oh, I wish I could have seen that stadium! I published some old photos here:
https://stlouispatina.com/the-streets-around-norwood-square/
I was born in 1954 at the old DePaul Hospital, which was built to replace Mullanphy Hospital, the latter located on Montgomery Street and which was severely damaged by a tornado in 1927. The same order of Catholic sisters staffed both. I wondered what became of the building and didn’t realize it was a nursing home (and apparently the largest such facility in the city when it closed in December 2023).
I also had read somewhere that it was in fact the largest until it closed last week.
I work at the current DePaul Hospital. When I learned that the nursing home that closed was the former DePaul Hospital, I wanted to learn more. I was so happy to find your article. Thank you.
Daughters of Charity of St . Vincent DePaul is the correct order of nuns responsible for delivering health care
and establishing DePaul School of Nursing.
The beautiful campus buildings were such an iconic view traveling down Kingshighway. The Daughters of Charity Order created a treasured and positive history throughout the years.
My sister, myself and twin brother were born at DePaul Hospital 1942 and 1945.
My sister graduated from DePaul School of Nursing. Later moved to AZ and met other DePaul School of Nursing graduates through the years.
It is so sad to yet again see decline and vandalism of such outstanding historical and architectural buildings which had purpose and Mission in serving the people of St. Louis.
this is Sarah Donovan and my mother’s name was Lydia Donovan at the time of my birth. I’m clarifying a previous comment that I have made with her name as Lydia Martin
I was born at the old DePaul hospital in June 1962. I wish I had more information about that time. Unfortunately, my mom & dad have already passed and I don’t have anyone to talk to about my birth. I started a memoir for my only daughter and have begun the search to unfold my life. I want to give her as much history as I can.
I graduated from their three year nursing program in 1966. I must say I don’t think I ever went in the front of the hospital on Kings Highway, there was a side entrance on Highland and that is where the students always entered the student dorm and then there was a tunnel from our dorm over into the hospital. Oh, but what love I feel for that place when I see it now thanks so much.
I spent a month in DePaul Hospital Nov-Dec 1969 when I was 18 months old. Rushed there from Maryville IL by ambulance, my aunt a nurse providing mouth-to-mouth during the ride. An emergency trach was performed by surgeon as soon as we arrived. My parents could not afford 24 hr nursing care, so for weeks before discharge my aunts/uncles and grandparents took it in shifts to sit with me. I have no memory (thankfully) of the illness or stay, but have heard the story my whole life. I am sure I have many, many caregivers to whom I owe my life.
I don’t as bad rn in this DePaul hospital in 1953. When I was 6 I had my appendix taken out there. Our rooms were wards unless you had surgery and you were in a two person room for a day.!Later in 1959 I had a bad kidney infection with very high fever. They packed me in ice. Both surgery and infection I stayed a week. Nurses were in their white uniforms, stockings, shoes and caps.I loved the nurses and nuns that came to see me. What memories.