St. Joseph Hospital Historic District

St. Joseph Hospital Historic District is a medical complex with three structures, including a five-story main building shaped like a Y with Neoclassical details. The main building was completed in 1926 and features distinctive architectural elements that define the site.

A religious community established their first hospital here in 1879, and in 1914 built a new facility on Fourth Street that became the center of this complex. The site later merged with another hospital in 1987 and was converted for residential use starting in 2012.

The nursing school inside the complex trained healthcare workers from 1914 to the mid-1970s and shaped the local medical profession. Many people in Ottumwa saw this as their chance to start a career in medicine.

The site is located in central Ottumwa and is easy to reach on foot, especially from downtown. The grounds are open to the public and you can view the architecture from the exterior.

The main building was designed by the same architects who created designs for the Mayo Clinic, one of the world's leading medical centers. Their prestigious background is reflected in the refined details of the structure.