Gillette Children's Hospital

Gillette Children's Hospital. . , In 1897, the Minnesota Legislature established the State Hospital for Indigent Crippled and Deformed Children. It marked the first time in the nation public funds were given for a hospital dedicated solely to the care of children with disabilities and chronic conditions. The hospital started as a ward in the City and County Hospital in St. Paul and quickly expanded. , In 1908, 23 acres of land near Lake Phalen were donated as a site for the state to build a larger facility. Over the next three decades, the Lake Phalen medical campus expanded to meet the growing demand for services, in particular care for children who had polio. The facility was renamed after its first chief of staff, Dr. Arthur Gillette, who died in 1921. , In 1924, this building, the Michael J. Dowling Memorial Hall, was added to the hospital. It housed the hospital’s school, library and auditorium. Funds were donated by Minnesota associations of bankers and editors in memory of Michael Dowling, who had a disability and was a member of both organizations. One of Minnesota’s most prominent architects, Clarence H. Johnston, designed the Spanish Colonial-style structure. Among the hall’s distinctive features are a red-tiled roof, arched doorway, marble columns and decorative plaster relief sculptures. , In 1977, facing significantly lower patient volumes and expensive renovation, the hospital closed its Lake Phalen facilities and moved to the fourth floor of the Saint Paul - Ramsey Medical Center. Three years later, all the buildings at the Lake Phalen site, except for Dowling Memorial Hall, were demolished. , This building was threatened with demolition several times. But each time, East Side neighbors succeeded in their fight to save it. Finally, in 1995, after sitting vacant for 18 years, Dowling Memorial Hall was renovated by the Minnesota Humanities Commission for use as an educational center. , Many former patients have visited the site to reminisce about their hospital stays when they were children - - another testimony to the building’s deep emotional ties to the community. , At various times for eighteen years, the following individuals worked to save this building from demolition. Had it not been for their steadfast dedication, the building would no longer exist. , Gillette Heritage Association , Mike Anderson , Tom Dimond , Paul Gilliland , Pat Hill , Susan Kimberly , Mary Jane Konsela , Richard Kramer , Stella Kroll , Jayne Lallier, President , Raymond Charles Lallier , Sue Maldondo , Bernice Sisson , Karen Swenson , Chuck Wiger , Bill Zajicek , , District Five Planning Council , Gillette Site Task Force Chairmen , Robert M. Schmidt , Raymond J. Ogren , Paul H. Schertler , Leland O. Anderson , , Mayors , Norm Coleman , Jim Schiebel , , East Side Arts Council , Kitty Anderson , Sarah Fehr , Mem Lloyd , Romi Slowiak , , State Legislators , Sen. Ellen R. Anderson , Sen. Richard J. Cohen , Rep. Jim Farrell , Sen. Douglas J. Johnson , Sen. Randy C. Kelly , Rep. Betty McCollum , Rep. Tom Osthoff , Sen. Sandra L. Pappas , Rep. James I. Rice , Rep. Steve Trimble , Rep. Kathleen Vellenga , , City Council , Marie Grimm , Dave Thune , , City Staff , Warren Hanson , Mara O’Neill , Joe Seifert , Helen Welter ,