A small military hospital was built in 1722. Its wood frame building was destroyed by a hurricane that fall, and rebuilt by the end of the year; a second wing was added in 1724. That year the Superior Council proclaimed that poor inhabitants would be admitted to the "Royal Hospital," theretofore reserved for soldiers. In September 1735, only soldiers and the King's workers were allowed admittance. The Royal Hospital was enlarged again in 1760, used as a barracks and hospital by Spanish troops after 1768, and used by American troops as a military hospital between 1803 and 1821, when it was torn down.
One of the largest houses in town was purchased (Chartres and Bienville), and renovations were undertaken by the royal contractor in June, 1736. The "St. John's Hospital" (officially designated "L'Hopital des Pauvres de la Charite") was accepting patients by May of 1737.
In 1743 the government donated a site on the square presently bounded by Rampart, Toulouse, Basin and St. Peter Streets. The second St. John's was built and opened sometime between 1743 and 1752. A hurricane wrecked St. John's in September 1779, leaving only the kitchen and storehouse standing. The remaining structures were converted into a six-bed "hospital." Don Andreas de Almonaster y Roxas rebuilt the hospital, naming it St. Charles Hospital after the king. It admitted its first patients in October 1785, but burned to the ground in September of 1809.
After the fire, the patients were moved to the Cabildo (then City Hall) for a night and then on to the Jourdan Plantation (on the West Bank, opposite Chalmette Battlefield) for six months. From there the patients were moved to the La Vergne residence.
In 1811 the hospital board began a new Charity Hospital— the first actually so named--building it on a square of ground between Canal, Common, Philippa (renamed University Place, now Roosevelt Way) and Baronne Streets. The hospital probably accepted its first patient sometime in 1816. The state then purchased the building for use as the new statehouse.
In 1829 the hospital board bought a site bounded by Girod, Gravier, St. Mary and Common (now Tulane) Streets. Construction began in 1831 and was completed in the fall of 1832.
1n 1937 demolition began at the place called "Old Charity." Construction of the new Charity Hospital began on the same site, and was complete by 1939.
Note: Dr. Castellano's guess that the Jourdan Plantation was just below the Ursuline Convent may have led to the belief that the Jourdan Plantation was on the site of the present industrial canal. "This locality must have been a little below the site of the present Convent of the Ursuline Nuns; one of the avenues bearing the name of the former owner and occupant is now known as Jourdan's avenue." page 22 However, the Convent was not built until 1823, and early maps place the plantation on the west, not east bank of the river. The plantation was burned down in January 1815 by British troops. The convent was sold in the early 20th century as work began on the canal.
