Franciscan Health offering St. James Hospital building bricks

The building that housed Franciscan Health Chicago Heights, originally known as St. James Hospital, held a special place in the hearts of many current and former Chicago Southland residents. It was a place where thousands of friends and family were born, and a place where thousands more were healed.

In response to requests from the public, Franciscan Health is offering souvenir bricks recovered from the Chicago Heights hospital demolition to the public in exchange for a $10 donation to the St. Francis Fund.

Each brick was recovered from the demolition, cleaned and enhanced with a commemorative name plate.

The St. Francis Fund was established when St. James Hospital opened in 1911. The mission of this patient necessity fund is to ensure that patients being discharged have the necessary support and are returning to an environment that will further their recovery. The St. Francis Fund provides transportation, medications and other essentials to patients being discharged before they connect with other, longer term resources.

“Since demolition began on the Chicago Heights hospital building last year, we have been moved by how many requests we have received for bricks from the old building,” said Karen Yates, Franciscan Health Director of Mission and Volunteer Services.

After inpatient and emergency services were consolidated into Franciscan Health Olympia Fields in 2018, and efforts to find a new use for the building were exhausted, demolition began on the Chicago Heights building last year. The demolition is scheduled to continue this spring.

Souvenir bricks may be purchased at the Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Gift Shop at 20201 S. Crawford Avenue, Olympia Fields. The Gift Shop is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“Even as we say good-bye to the Chicago Heights hospital building,” Yates said, “it’s more than fitting that it continues to serve Southland residents in need through the St. Francis Fund donations generated from the sale of these keepsakes.”

Supplies of souvenir bricks are limited. Additional bricks from the Chicago Heights hospital building will be used in a healing garden on the Franciscan Health Olympia Fields campus.