Happy Friday once again. Today’s photo is a neat old one of the corner of Ouellette and Erie. The date on the back of this one is marked April 21, 1937. But judging from the photo, that is the date of a reprint, the actual photo is probably closer to 20 years earlier.
Two shifty dudes at the corner, probably an early drug deal… 
The original Hotel Dieu was designed by Charles H. Chausse of Montreal in 1888. Architecturally, the front entrance was very striking, with the imposing Victorian balconies.
Even nearly 100 years ago, as today, the north side of the property along Erie was popular for parking.
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Drug deals and parking… some things never change.
I assume that all of these building were torn down long ago, judging by the ugly assorted buildings that stand there today.
Mike, the original section came down in the mid – late 1960’s. There was a fire at the original section of Grace Hospital, and good ol’ Windsor decided all these old hospital buildings were death traps and needed to go…
what a stunning building.
Only in late 60s Windsor would we think that 30 year old buildings built of solid, long lasting materials were “death traps” based on a completely unrelated fire at a building 5 miles away. People were so smart back then.
I mean 80 year old… but still…(leave me alone I have a cold
) You think they could have kept at least some of the original stuff but people had no concept of historical preservation back then. Also, it was the 60s, so everyone was on drugs, so they probably just spaced out at the city council meetings when the motion was passed….
The small building on Erie St was the nun’s residence . When my children were born at the Dieu in 1961, 63, 64, they were born in the “new” part to the south. It is now the old part. The original part was torn down after that. A new nun’s residence and a chapel were built on the corner of Erie.Back then the nun’s did a huge amount of the nursing and administration
I love that picture, thanks Andrew!
Something I enjoy, it the fact thet the street signs are nailed to the tree lol!
I’d just like to say, that on the current hospital, the giant bronze mural was created by my wifes grandmother. How cool is that?!
I hope cupe gave that one motorist a ticket for parking backwards. lol
I’m getting this out of a book titled ( Birth of a City ) authored by Carl Morgan. Constuction began on October the 10th 1888 and completed at a cost of $38,543. The building was demplished in 1963. The founding of Hotel Dieu hospital was closely linked with a Catholic Priest’s desire to help black children and a religious order’s vow to minister to the sick. The Nuns were the religious hospitallers of St.Joseph and the priest was the Reverend J.T. Wagner, better known as Dean Wagner.