St. Joseph Hospital

St. Joseph Hospital, Houston’s first general hospital, opened in 1887 as St. Joseph’s Infirmary. Six sisters from the congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, who came to Houston from St. Mary’s Infirmary in Galveston, established the facility. Two years after its opening, Harris County officials asked the sisters to care for the county’s indigent sick, which they continued to do until 1919. A new hospital built in 1894 accommodated the growing number of patients. Several months after opening, however, fire destroyed the new structure, killing two of the sisters. Another hospital, built on the present site, provided new facilities. During the twentieth century, St. Joseph Hospital established its reputation as a leader in Texas health care. As a pioneer in the medical field, the hospital was among the earliest in the county or the state to: introduce pathology laboratory and x-ray equipment (1912); build a facility devoted to care for women and infants (1936); open a premature infant nursery (1943), coronary intensive care unit (1965) and community mental health center 9196); provide a neonatal transport service (1984); and offer laser lithotripsy for removal of ureteral stones (1987). The hospital has also made important contributions to education by opening the city’s first school of nursing 91905) and a large surgical training laboratory (1980). The center was also noteworthy for its research and treatment of cancer. St. Joseph Hospital served as a leader in the medical field by providing quality treatment for its patients. It also served as an important reminder of Houston’s early role as a medical center. (2006)

St. Joseph Hospital is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2006. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7476, -95.3661 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Benjamin Apartments (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Beaconsfield, South Texas College of Law Houston, and First United Methodist Church of Houston.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013592. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.