In the late 1990s, St. Tammany Health System launched its biggest construction project to date, a massive, multi-year undertaking designed to bring the health system’s Covington hospital into the 21st century.
One of the final phases of that project, dubbed the New Millennium Project and completed in 2004, was construction of the atrium lobby that welcomes members of the community to the hospital campus today.
But to build something, sometimes you have to knock something else down. Such was the case with the New Millennium Project – which brings us to the latest installment in our 70 by 70 history project.
Installment No. 17: A touchstone to the past
Today’s artifact: A brick from the original hospital building, which was built in 1954 to serve the community – and the last traces of which were demolished in 2003 after decades of expansions.
Why it is significant: It takes just one glance at the brick on display in the office of St. Tammany Health System AVP of Facilities Sherry Grady to realize it’s no ordinary brick.
It is oversized, it is obviously old and it has pride of place. But most telling are the words emblazoned on its face:
St. Tammany Parish Hospital
Covington, Louisiana
“The New Millennium Project”
Since 1954.
Clearly, there’s a story behind it. But what is it?
As it turns out, when crews were razing the last remaining portions of the original hospital, health system leadership realized it was kind of a big deal. That original hospital, after all, was the result of nearly a decade of community activism and had served countless Northshore residents over the years.
So, rather than haul all the debris to the dump, hospital leadership invited people to collect a piece of it for posterity.
Grady’s brick, which she said she inherited with her office, was apparently one such piece.
And while there’s no questioning that the health system’s new modern hospital building is far superior to the old one-story building it replaced, it’s comforting to know a remnant of it still exists, serving as a touchstone to the past – and as a tribute to all those hands who helped build it into the community-focused institution it is today.
Do you have a St. Tammany Parish Hospital story or item to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at CommDept@stph.org.
Next week – Installment No. 18: ‘May it always remain open to suffering humanity’
Last week – Installment No. 16: Telegram!