Downtown in Seattle in King County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Providence Hospital

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 1, 2026

1. Providence Hospital Marker

Inscription. On this site the Sisters of Charity of the House of Providence, on April 25, 1878, established Providence Hospital, Seattle's first hospital and continued its operation until September 24, 1911, when the new instiution was dedicated, at 500 17th Avenue.

Erected 1967 by Seattle Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • Science & Medicine • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is April 25, 1878.

Location. 47° 36.422′ N, 122° 19.92′ W. Marker is in Seattle, Washington, in King County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Spring Street, on the left when traveling south on 5th Avenue. Next to Kimpton Hotel Vintage. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1010 5th Avenue Nakamora Federal Courthouse, Seattle WA 98101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

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in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Women's University Club of Seattle (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Original Site of the University of Washington (about 600 feet away); Victory Square (about 700 feet away); Seattle Ice Arena (about 700 feet away); Site of University of Washington (about 700 feet away); First Presbyterian Church Cornerstone (about 800 feet away); The First Presbyterian Church of Seattle, Washington (about 800 feet away); First Presbyterian Church of Seattle World War Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seattle.

More about this marker. On the steps leading to the
Nakamora Federal Courthouse

Regarding Providence Hospital. Nakamora Federal Courthouse

Also see . . . Sisters of Providence open their first Seattle hospital on August 2, 1878. Courtesy HistoryLink.org, Essay No. 461, by Mildred Andrews, 12/08/1998. Excerpt:

On August 2, 1878, the
Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, August 1, 2026

2. Sisters of Charity of th House of Providence Marker
Sisters of Charity of Providence open their first Seattle hospital at 5th Avenue and Madison Street. Known as "the Builder," Mother Joseph (1823-1902) designed and supervised construction of the three-story, wood-frame building.

The sisters purchased the property of J. J. Moss -- four lots and a dwelling -- for $5,000. The self-trained architect Mother Joseph (born Esther Pariseau) was known as "the Builder." She traveled north from the order's headquarters at Fort Vancouver to design and supervise construction of the three-story building that would serve Seattle's growing population. The structure was succeeded by a larger hospital, designed by Donald McKay (b. 1841) in 1882.

The hospital served 88 patients in the first 17 months and many more thereafter. The Sisters constructed a larger hospital at 17th Ave. and Jefferson St. in 1911, and the Federal Courthouse was later built on the 5th Avenue site.

(Submitted on August 4, 2026.)

Providence Hospital image. Click for full size.

Puget Sound Landscape and Publishing Photographers (?)(courtesy Seattle Public Library), circa 1889

3. Providence Hospital

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 1, 2026, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. 3. submitted on August 4, 2026. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.