Flint--Goodridge Hospital of Dillard University - New Orleans, LA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Area at time of Waymarking, major construction was ongoing in the entire area. Area once housed the Magnolia Street housing projects, but they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It appears this building survived or has been completely restored. Dillard Univesity ceased operating the hospital in 1983, then operated as apartments. Not sure when, but the building now houses a nursing home. Great history comes from the Dillard University online book site, located here, which states:

The Flint-Goodridge Hospital of Dillard University had its’ beginning in October 1896. A small group of African American women, known as the Phyllis Wheatley Club, formally opened an institution which they named the Phyllis Wheatley Sanitarium and Training School for Negro Nurses. In October 1897, because of a lack of financial support, the school was taken under the wing of New Orleans University and merged with the school’s Medical College hospital. In 1901, the name was changed to Sarah Goodridge Hospital and Nurse Training School. Sarah Goodridge was the mother of one of the hospital’s most generous benefactors: Caroline Medge of Boston, Massachusetts. In the same year, the Medical College was renamed Flint Medical College in honor of the philanthropist John D. Flint of Fall River, Massachusetts. In 1911, the Flint Medical College closed when the American Medical Association deemed its’ facilities unacceptable for medical practice. In 1915, the Pharmacy Department closed. The buildings at Canal and Robertson streets, which had been used jointly by the Flint Medical College and the Sarah Goodridge Hospital and Nurses Training School, were converted into a 50 bed hospital and a nurses’ home. The Hospital was named Flint-Goodridge Hospital. The Nurse Training Department was reorganized and continued under the jurisdiction of New Orleans University. In 1930 a movement was started to merge New Orleans University (affiliated with the Methodist Church) and Straight College (affiliated with the Congregational Christian Church) into the present day Dillard University. The first unit of Dillard University to be constructed was the hospital at a cost of approximately one-half million dollars (equivalent to approximately 6.5 million dollars today.) Flint-Goodridge Hospital of Dillard University opened in 1932 with the construction of a modern building (by university architect Moise Goldstein) located at Louisiana Avenue and Howard Street. Albert W. Dent (later the President of Dillard University) was the first superintendent of Flint-Goodridge. Under his administration, the postgraduate course for physicians in the South was established. The hospital was a voluntary, non-profit acute care general hospital. The institution was formed for the purpose of caring for African American patients and also for providing an opportunity for African American physicians to practice their profession. The unfortunate fact of the matter was that during this pre-civil rights period, African American doctors were not allowed to practice in most hospitals. Although it remained a predominantly black institution, the staff was always diverse- fostering racial harmony in a time and place where blatant racism existed in almost every facet of daily life. In 1953, the Trustees of Dillard University established a Board of Management upon whom they delegated full responsibility of the operation of the hospital. Thus the hospital, which had been run by an institution of higher learning for over 50 years, began operating as a community enterprise. The community role of the hospital grew during the 50’s and 60’s. The hospital hosted health-oriented social functions such as bazaars, fashion shows and baby contests that contributed to community solidarity. However, despite the humanitarian success of the hospital, financial problems began to multiply. There was an attempt in the late 70’s- early 80’s to sell the hospital to a group of African American physicians but the group could not afford the cost. The University closed the hospital in 1983. The building of the hospital still stands today at 2425 Louisiana Avenue and is now the Flint-Goodridge Apartments.

Street address: Louisiana Ave. and LaSalle St 2425 Louisiana Avenue New Orleans, LA USA 70115 County / Borough / Parish: Orleans Year listed: 1989 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1925-1949 Historic function: Health Care. Sub - Hospital Current function: Health Care - Nursing Home Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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