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Now & Then By Paul Dorpat

Healing, In God's Name

WHEN ITS LAST of several additions was attached along Madison Street in 1901, Providence Hospital became the largest hospital in the Pacific Northwest. Mother Joseph — "The Builder," as she was called — of this and many more structures for the Sisters of Providence died the following year in Vancouver, Wash., where she first "answered the call" with her Bible in 1856.

This rear view of the hospital looks west across the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Spring Street, most likely in the spring of 1909 when the city was regrading Spring and Seneca streets east of Fourth Avenue. The cut here at Sixth, as revealed to the left of the steam shovel, is at least 20 feet.

Aside from its central tower facing Fifth Avenue, the part of the hospital most evident here is the first wing that was dedicated on Feb. 2, 1883. With architect Donald McKay, Mother Joseph designed a three-story frame hospital with a brick foundation, large basement, open porches and the first elevator in town. Mother Joseph also supervised the construction.

Despite the Protestant town's general prejudice toward Catholics, the hospital was busy. Epidemics of many sorts and accidents at work were commonplace. The work day did not shrink from 12 hours to 10 until 1886.

In 1911, Providence moved to its new plant at 17th Avenue and East Jefferson Street. Two years later, Seattle's progressive mayor George Cotterill temporarily converted this old Providence — then vacant — into the Hotel Liberty for homeless and unemployed men. However, as Richard Berner explains in his book, "Seattle 1900-1920: From Boomtown, Urban Turbulence, to Restoration," there were no sisters of any sort at the hotel. "Women were not allowed . . . and had to shift for themselves."

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.