Medical Center of Louisiana CHARITY HOSPITAL (1532 Tulane Ave, Mid-City, 1939)

This massive Art Deco structure has been a beacon for New Orleanians seeking health care since it opened its doors to patients in 1939. The hospital, once one of the premier teaching facilities in the Southern region and the best source of diagnostic medicine and trauma care in the area, flooded during Hurricane Katrina, leaving hundreds of patients and staff stranded. It has not reopened in the two years since and is in desperate need of repairs to its storm-damaged interior. While it may not be feasible to reopen Charity as a hospital, the valuable downtown location has potential alternative uses, such as a senior care facility, specialized medical clinics or even housing for workers in the surrounding medical district. As one of the most important structures designed by the firm Weiss, Dreyfous, Seiferth, the potential loss of Charity Hospital would erase an important artifact of Louisiana’s architectural heritage.
THREAT: neglect, hurricane damage, potential demolition

View Larger Map