Charity Hospital, Former teaching hospital in New Orleans, United States
Charity Hospital is a former teaching hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, standing 20 floors tall along Tulane Avenue. The limestone walls and clean lines date from the 1930s and follow the modern style of that era known as Art Deco.
A French shipbuilder provided funds in 1736 for a hospital that became one of the oldest public medical centers in North America. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, operations ceased and the building has remained empty since then.
The name recalls the original endowment by a French shipbuilder who left his fortune for the care of the poor. The building carries architectural details that represent the work and leisure of people at the time it was constructed.
The building has been closed for nearly two decades and cannot be entered, but it can be viewed from the street. Visitors should be aware that the area around the building is still in transition.
During its operational years, this hospital held several thousand beds and ranked among the largest medical facilities in the country. Today it stands on the list of endangered historic places in America and awaits a new purpose.
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