Archives and Records
1887: St. Peter's Hospital, Olympia

(Click for full-size image)   For more information, please see Providence St. Peter Hospital

In 1856 five Sisters of Providence arrived in Vancouver, sent from their Motherhouse in Montreal. They built Providence Academy in 1857 and began their ministry of education as well as care for orphans, the elderly, and the infirm. By 1881 the Sisters had moved to Olympia. In 1887, the need for a hospital in the Olympia area became readily apparent. The Sisters responded by establishing St. Peter's Hospital at 420 Mills Street. Mother Joseph raised money by first soliciting donations from the surrounding logging work camps, and then selling an early form of hospital insurance known as "tickets of admission," for use in times of need. The hospital was forced to move in 1919 due to expansion of the Capitol buildings. The new hospital was dedicated in 1927. The hospital was again relocated and rebuilt in 1970 due to inadequate facilities and licensing requirements.