The De Paul Hospital Complex Historic District in Norfolk is a large, evolved hospital representative of multiple generations of innovative healthcare developments and service to the Norfolk community. Located in a suburban environment between the Riverpoint and Talbot Park neighborhood areas, the complex consists of five associated resources including the main hospital building, which first opened in 1944 as one of only two major hospitals serving the greater Norfolk area. The buildings in the complex feature a mix of Modern and International architectural elements, incorporating smooth textures, flat roofs, minimal ornamentation, and window treatments characteristic of the styles. Each building utilizes expansive amounts of brick with contrasting concrete and cast stone elements to subtly separate their features and break up the façades. As an ensemble, they boast a cohesive design representative of mid-20th century Modern- and International-styles. The Catholic Daughters of Charity started a hospital in downtown Norfolk in the donated home of Ann Plume Behan Herron. By 1856 it was called The Hospital of St. Vincent De Paul. It was Norfolk’s first hospital for the public. The hospital was expanded several times, growing from the single dwelling to an institution with 150 rooms and a school of nursing. At the current location, the construction of the main hospital building, which used World War II Lanham Act funds, was the largest hospital project in the southeastern region overseen by the Federal Works Agency. As a direct result of increased demand in healthcare services following a post-World War II population growth and the advent of new healthcare treatments, equipment, and procedures, the main hospital was upgraded with several additions to accommodate those advancements during the years after its initial construction, including major expansion and renovations in 1958 and 1973. The expansion of the main hospital and the addition of associated facilities in the medical complex reflect the innovative local and regional changes in health care.
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