(COLORADO SPRINGS) — River Feffer, a 14-year-old who attends Cheyenne Mountain Highschool started a petition to save the old St. Francis Hospital, located at 825 Pikes Peak View. Many have seen the old building but may not know the history.
“If you really look into some of the historical presence that this building has, you’ll really be impressed,” Fefer said. “I mean, it really goes deep.”
Built in 1887 to treat patients ailing from injuries on the continental railroads, the original St. Francis hospital went on to serve the community in many ways, including as a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis, providing fresh air with a mountain view to ease the pains of the sickness.
The hospital served the community for over 100 years and became one of the first hospitals in Colorado to offer a variety of surgical procedures.
Fefer said, “Just look at my petition, you’ll see people saying, ‘My daughter was born there.’ I mean, this hospital shouldn’t be forgotten. It just had so much commitment to the community.”
The hospital eventually became a mental health hospital, then it closed its doors for good in 2010. Trespassers have since defaced the building and stripped it of its copper pipes and wires, and the costly repairs that would be required to restore the building make demolition seem inevitable.
However, the owners of the property, Norwood Development gave a statement giving hope for the building.
Norwood values the rich history and architectural significance of downtown Colorado Springs and remains committed to preserving its unique character whenever possible.
The Gazette Telegraph and St. Francis Hospital buildings hold an important place in our city’s story, and we recognize their beauty and historical significance.
As we envision the future of this site, our intention is to retain and incorporate almost all of the existing historic structures into the new development. Thoughtful preservation and adaptive reuse will allow us to honor the past while creating new opportunities for the community. We look forward to sharing more details as the project progresses.
Norwood Development
They are now asking the community to give them feedback, to do so, click on the link above.
