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Fire Hospitals South St. Louis

St. Mary’s Infirmary

We were saddened to get the news this morning that the historic St. Mary’s Infirmary suffered a three-alarm fire last night. Perhaps the most significant association of the building is its connection to African-American history. The hospital entered an important new phase in 1933, when it became the city’s second African-American hospital with the city’s first-ever racially integrated medical staff. Later that year, the Sisters of St. Mary also opened a nursing school for African-American candidates, creating the city’s second school of nursing open to African-Americans and the nation’s first Catholic nursing school that admitted African-Americans.

Here we are posting the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the complex, written by Michael R. Allen.

St. Mary’s Infirmary National Register of Historic Places Nomination

3 replies on “St. Mary’s Infirmary”

Inadvertently rode by the Infirmary today while rambling around. A STLFD ladder truck was inspecting the top levels at 11am. Still smelled like char and smoke. There was extensive damage to interior walls and doorways. The adjoining 2-story brick building’s front wall has completely collapsed, spilling brick onto Papin. Really sad sight, and I had to agree with the Amren security guard I talked to while watching when she said the city needed to condem and demolish.

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