St. Joseph Hospital Historic District, Historic medical complex in Ottumwa, US.

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.

The Congregation of the Humility of Mary settled in Ottumwa in 1877 and opened their first hospital two years later. In 1923 the Sisters raised $78,000 of a $100,000 goal toward a new $300,000 hospital, hired Milwaukee firm E. Brielmaier & Sons, and completed the five-story building in 1926. A 1960 addition came from Brooks & Borg; the hospital merged with Ottumwa Hospital in 1987 and closed 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 district stands along Vogel Street on Ottumwa's south side, next to St. Mary of the Visitation Church on Fourth Street. The circular drive off Vogel Street, part of the original 1926 plan, is the contributing structure to look for. The hospital building closed in 2012 and was being converted into 70 apartments, so expect a construction site rather than open grounds.

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.