Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital
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Linda Vista Community Hospital
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Location | 610-30 St. Louis Street, Los Angeles, California |
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Coordinates | 34°2′18″N 118°13′2″W / 34.03833°N 118.21722°WCoordinates: 34°2′18″N 118°13′2″W / 34.03833°N 118.21722°W |
Built | 1905 closed in 1991 |
Architect | Gilman, H.L. |
Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
NRHP Reference # | 05001499 |
LAHCM # | 713 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | January 3, 2006 |
Designated LAHCM | January 3, 2006 |
Linda Vista Community Hospital, originally called the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital and Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, is a former hospital at 610-30 South St. Louis Street in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. The hospital was built for railroad employees and was one of four employee hospitals run by the railroad Santa Fe Employees Hospital Association. The property was purchased for $5,500 and the hospital was constructed at a cost of $147,000.
After its closure, the hospital became a popular filming location for horror-themed productions, including films, TV shows, and music videos. It has also become the subject of several paranormal investigations. It is currently senior apartments.
The hospital opened to great fanfare in 1904 and even had its own Jersey cows, chickens, and a garden to provide patients with the freshest milk, butter, eggs, poultry and vegetables. This original Moorish-style hospital building designed by Charles Whittlesey, known as the Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, was razed and rebuilt in 1924 in the current Mission Revival Style structure. In 1989 it was renamed the Linda Vista Community Hospital.
By the late 1970s, the railroad hospital association facilities were experiencing declining use, as more railroad workers began to use conventional medical-insurance policies. The area surrounding the hospital also became a less-affluent area and hospital funding was affected.The Santa Fe Railroad sold the 150-bed hospital to a managed healthcare company in 1980. According to a California Health Law News report, when Linda Vista tried to reduce operational expenses in response, the hospital was blamed for an increase in facility death rates. During that time, the hospital was regularly treating a fair number of gunshot wounds and stabbings from the local neighborhoods, which affected its mortality statistics. An increase in uninsured and under-insured patients forced the hospital to close its emergency services department in 1989. The quality of care at Linda Vista Community Hospital continued to decline as doctors moved to other hospitals. In 1991, the hospital ceased operations.
In the decades since its closure, it has become the center of several paranormal investigations; the most notable investigation was initiated by Ghost Adventures, where the crew stayed a full night in the hospital. Since that time, it has been used primarily as a filming location. In January 2006, the hospital was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.