Group Blog Home

Preserving History: St. Mary's Hospital's Legacy to Live On in New Public Safety Complex

Work crews carefully remove a carved memorial honoring the senior founders of Sisters of Mercy.

For more than three months, a team of contractor crews has been doing some less-than-glamorous grunt work in North Knoxville. They are slogging through the early stages of transforming a mothballed hospital campus into what will become, by early 2022, a $40 million Public Safety Complex.

Demolishing interior walls and ceiling panels. Removing lighting and ballasts. Clearing debris. Repeat. Then repeat several more times.

But Week 14 brings something different: It's the right time for the painstakingly careful preservation of many of the historical artifacts that graced the halls and grounds of the former St. Mary's Hospital. And for anyone with a fondness for historical trivia, the tender salvage work is definitely interesting.

The hospital memorials and remembrances are being temporarily stored in the hospital's original structure, built in 1929 on land donated by the Daniel J. DeWine family. In fact, that original building, with its stately grandeur and marble accents, is itself being preserved by the City of Knoxville - a possible centerpiece for a privately redeveloped north campus in the coming years.

"So many families have deep ties to St. Mary's - babies were born there, and loved ones received life-saving treatment there," Community Empowerment Director Charles Lomax says. "A hospital is powerfully iconic, and the City from Day 1 has been committed to preserving the legacy of St. Mary's."

There was never any doubt that memorial plaques, cornerstones and historic photos would be protected and again displayed, Lomax says.

While details are not yet finalized, the City plans to incorporate many of the historic hospital artifacts in the new Public Safety Complex or on its grounds. Masonry brick has been salvaged; it will be cleaned and made available in the future to families who are sentimental about the former hospital and its long-lasting community impact.

For more details about the City's plans for redeveloping the site, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/safetycomplex.

Meanwhile, check out the photos below of some of the historic St. Mary's Hospital artifacts that are being preserved. The altar and carved memorials recognizing Senior Founders, pictured below, will remain in place inside the 1929 building. Other items have been salvaged from the West Wing and being placed in safe storage temporarily.

Some of the historic artifacts being preserved; many of these and other memorials will be displayed at the new Public Safety Complex.

Some of the historic artifacts being preserved; many of these and other memorials will be displayed at the new Public Safety Complex.

Also being salvaged: Class photos for years of nursing school graduates

Memorial honoring the DeWine family for donating the land upon which St. Mary's was built

The names of Senior Founders have been memorialized; these plaques will continue to hang in the 91-year-old original building.

Plaque recognizing benefactors of the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Sisters of Mercy memorials are being carefully packed for safekeeping

Posted by evreeland On 28 May, 2020 at 12:28 PM