The Queen of Angels Hospital was a private hospital complex located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The 404-bed hospital[1] was founded in 1926 by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart and built by architect Albert C. Martin, Sr.. The hospital served the local community and ran a nursing school. After its closure, the hospital served as a film set for the local film and television industry. The property was eventually sold to the Assembly of God church and is now known as the Dream Center.
Queen of Angels Hospital | |
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![]() Queen of Angels Hospital | |
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Geography | |
Standort | 2301 Bellevue Avenue Los Angeles, California, United States |
Coordinates | 34°04′29″N 118°16′13″W / 34.074584°N 118.270310°W |
Organization | |
Care system | Private |
Typ | Teaching |
Affiliated university | Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart |
Services | |
Beds | 404 |
History | |
Opened | 1924 |
Closed | 1989 |
Links | |
Lists | Hospitals in California |
Standort
The hospital consisted of a number of buildings, but the iconic main building is known because it looms over the Hollywood Freeway. The hilltop site was chosen for the hospital because it was close to both Sunset Boulevard and Temple Street, and because it was outside Downtown Los Angeles.[1]
History
Seeing a need for quality care in the city, the Franciscan Sisters went as far as begging door to door to accrue money for the hospital.[1] Once built, the hospital kept growing in size by adding wings and new buildings, topping out at 14 stories in height.[2] Due to excess capacity, the operations of the Queen of Angels Hospital were merged with the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 1989,[1] becoming known as the Queen of Angels – Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.
Due to its proximity to Hollywood, a number of famous people were born (Bob Beemer, Harry Crosby, Marcia Reed, Madeleine Stowe,[3] Mike Thaler,[4] Victoria Vetri) or died (Esther Dale,[5] John Harvey Gahan, Linda Loredo,[6] Robert Asa Todd[7]) there.
Kathryn Crosby is among the alumnae of the nursing school.[8] Sakaye Shigekawa was a past president of the hospital.[9] Tirso del Junco was once the medical chief of staff. During its heyday, the hospital was the city's premiere medical center.[citation needed]
Filming site
In 1951, the exterior was used as the setting for the fictitious Mercy General Hospital in the Adventures of Superman television series.[10] After its closure, the main building, a Spanish-style hospital complex, was used primarily as a film set.[2] It appeared in a number of productions, including Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and The Innocent.[2][11]
Sale
The property was eventually sold to the Assembly of God church. It is now known as the Dream Center.[2][12]
References
- ^ a b c d Ford, Andrea (1989-01-27). "For Health Reasons ... : Queen of Angels Closes Its Doors, Moves In With a Partner". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c d Mozingo, Joe (1997-09-06). "Queen of Angels Undergoes Conversion". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Madeleine Stowe". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ Thaler, Mike. "Biography". mikethaler.com. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ^ "Esther Dale, Actress, Dies in Hospital". Independent. California, Long Beach. Associated Press. July 24, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Linda Loredo at Find a Grave
- ^ "Robert A. Todd, Ex-Official, Dies". Los Angeles Times. 1943-03-05. p. A-10. ProQuest 165432009.
- ^ "1963 Press Photo Kathryn Crosby wife Bing Crosby nurse cap Queen Angels School". Historic Images.
- ^ "Pioneering Nisei Doctor Sakaye Shigekawa Dies at 100". Rafu Shimpo. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
- ^ "Celebrating Our Lady Queen of the Angels | Angelus News". August 16, 2017.
- ^ "Filming Location: Queen of Angels Hospital". imdb.com.
- ^ "Wo/Men at Work: Nurses and Babies, Clara Barton Hospital, Los Angeles, 1923". January 22, 2018.
External links
- Media related to Dream Center at Wikimedia Commons
- "Queen of Angels Hospital, Los Angeles, CA: General view". U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- "Queen of Angels Hospital". USC.