Cook County Hospital on Endangered List
By Margaret Lyons on May 25, 2004 3:10PM
Chicago historians and architecture buffs who are in a rage over the impending demolition of Cook County Hospital will be happy to know that the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the historic site to its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places of 2004 list. Well, not happy per-se, but psyched for the backup.
Cook County Hospital (handy map) was built in 1913 and was home to the first blood bank in the world in 1937, and in 1983 it opened the HIV/AIDS clinic in Chicago. According to the list, the hospital is known as Chicagos Ellis Island because it served immigrants and poor people since its opening. Now, the facility designed to invoke a grand civic building, rather than a typical public hospital, is endangered; even though the building itself is in decent shape, the Cook County Board has voted to demolish the building in favor of building the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County on an adjacent site.
According to the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, the best way to help preserve Cook County Hospital is to send a short letter or e-mail to
John Stroger, President, Cook County Board, 118 N. Clark St., Room 500, Chicago, IL 60602Cook County Hospital is the inspiration for County General on ER, except on ER its all fucked up and should totally be torn down because everyone there dies and is sad. It appears in The Fugitive, too, but the interiors are actually at U of C hospitals. At least, thats what they tell you on the tour.
jhstroger@cookcountygov dot com