Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio

Santa Rosa Infirmary continued to expand as the needs grew. By 1884 the two-story stone building on Houston Street was filled to capacity. It was decided to construct a three-story addition, the beginning of “Old Main.” In 1894, the hospital was expanded with the addition of an east wing. Two years later, the original structure (used first at St. Joseph’s Orphanage) was torn down to make room for a three-story west wing. In 1903, a School of Nursing was chartered. By 1913, the enrollment had increased to such an extent that a separate building was constructed directly adjacent to the west side of the hospital to provide classrooms and a residence hall for the student nurses. Up until the 1940’s it was almost the sole mainstay of the medical practice in the city of San Antonio.