2945 Lawton Avenue

City Hospital No. 2 was established in 1919 at 2945 Lawton Avenue, in the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood, to serve African American residents during a time when St. Louis’s healthcare system was strictly segregated by race. Housed in the former Barnes Medical College building, the hospital became the only public facility in the city where Black patients could receive treatment and where Black physicians and nurses were allowed to train and practice.

The creation of City Hospital No. 2 was a result of both systemic racism and persistent advocacy by Black civic leaders who demanded better medical care and professional opportunities. Though critically important to the community, the hospital was underfunded and overcrowded, and conditions were often inadequate. Nonetheless, it served as a vital center of care and a rare space for Black medical professionals to gain experience in a segregated system.

By the mid-1930s, the demand for improved facilities led to plans for a new, modern hospital. In 1937, City Hospital No. 2 was replaced by Homer G. Phillips Hospital, which became a nationally recognized institution for training Black healthcare workers and treating Black patients with dignity and skill.

The building was demolished during urban renewal efforts in the mid-20th century, and the area has since undergone significant redevelopment. While the original structure is gone, the legacy of City Hospital No. 2 lives on in the history of healthcare and civil rights in St. Louis. City Hospital No. 2’s short but significant existence highlights the deep racial inequalities in early 20th-century American healthcare, while also honoring the resilience of St. Louis’s Black medical community in the face of institutional exclusion.

The building was demolished during urban renewal efforts in the mid-20th century, and the area has since undergone significant redevelopment. While the original structure is gone, the legacy of City Hospital No. 2 lives on in the history of healthcare and civil rights in St. Louis.