Talk:Pensacola Hospital

Untitled
The author of the visitor's guide, Aaron Ritz, who stumbled upon this page quite by accident, was so appreciative of someone taking the time to begin a stub page featuring one of his favorite buildings that he took the text from his guide and put it up himself! He also took the time to scan and load an old photograph that he has had for many years that seems to share a neat view of the building in its early years (one other than the straight on mug shot preferred by so many historic sites). Thank you, copyright protector, for defending me in absentia; I appreciate your concern. Please come by the building and visit my family some day. We love to lead folks on tours.

Aaron Ritz, Aaronvincentritz 02:22, 26 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Hey Aaron. I removed some of the stuff where the article addresses the reader. That's not Wikipedia policy, you see. Articles here have to be in the style of what you'd find in a standard encyclopedia. I appreciate all the info you're adding though. I created most of the National Register stubs for Florida, including this one, hoping they'd be expanded. Just wanna make sure it's done according to policies here. I'm hoping to visit Pensacola in the near-ish future. I also have a mission to get photos of all the NRHPs in Florida, and Pensacola's definitely on my list. Mind you, if you could get any current photos, that'd be wonderful, as they could be added to articles sooner. Go to my talk page if you'd like more info or help or such. Cheers! --Ebyabe 22:35, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Possible Copyright Violation
Moved this text from the main page, as it seems to be right from the visitor's guide. If so, it needs to be reworded so it's not identical.

A visitor's guide at the building tells this story: Pensacola Hospital, now known as the historic Sacred Heart Hospital, opened in September of 1915 as the first Catholic hospital in Florida. The Daughters of Charity, a religious order dating back to 1633, invested over $400,000.00 into building and opening this facility. Evans Brothers Construction, of Birmingham, Alabama, took one year to build this late Gothic Revival building for the Daughters to provide the residents of Pensacola with better health care. This structure is both a medical and architectural landmark. Before this hospital, Pensacola had only a scattering of local clinics in converted houses. Doctors would send patients with serious cases as far away as New Orleans for complicated procedures not available in Pensacola. With this facility, Pensacola had the first surgical, radiological, bacterial, and therapeutical facilities in Florida. Following the Daughters of Charity motto of "service to all", the third level of the east wing was dedicated entirely to the Creole and Colored population so that they could also receive hospital care. A.O. Von Herbulis, a native of Austria who immigrated to the United States, designed the hospital. Using the vocabulary of English Gothic architecture, with elements such as the Tudor arches on the ends, the stone work around the front entrance, and the embattlement at the parapet, Von Herbulis created a lasting monument to health care. In 1948,following the original desire of Mother Margaret O'Keefe, Pensacola Hospital's name changed to Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola. In 1965, the hospital moved its operations to north Ninth Avenue. After the hospital left, a private school for Liberal Arts used the building from 1969 through 1978, but lack of maintenance forced the school to abandon the building. In 1980, Tower East Group, Inc., purchased the property to preserve the historic hospital for the future. The public areas are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, for touring. The building has several restaurants and a local theater company which you may enjoy, as well as many private offices. While you are visiting, please sign our visitor register in the front office and let us know how you feel about historic preservation. Tower East Group, Inc., a private enterprise owned by partners B. Neal Armstrong and Stephen F. Ritz, has been restoring and renovating this Late Gothic Revival landmark since March of 1980. We succeeded in listing the site on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1982. The owners, their families, and their friends, have dedicated many hours of their talents to return this local landmark to the people of Pensacola as a place to learn, shop, dine, and work. National Park Guidelines for historic preservation are followed voluntarily. However, no Federal or State funding has ever been received. Structurally, the building has received very few alterations in its history. The striking exterior stonework retains its Gothic appearance to this day and other original architectural details, such as the elaborate oak entrance doors, remain. The enduring presence of this building in Pensacola honors the rich experiences of the people of the community who have created and shared the history of the original Sacred Heart Hospital. Please ask about the building in the front office, located at the main entrance on Twelfth Avenue. Thank you for visiting our living history. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ebyabe (talk • contribs) 18:52, 25 February 2007 (UTC).