St. Francis Hospital
Why it's listed
St. Francis Hospital is a 4 1/2-story Queen Anne building at 1860 Queen City Avenue in Cincinnati's South Fairmount neighborhood. Designed by architect George W. Rapp, it rose in stages between 1888 and 1900 on a hillside site once occupied by a German cemetery. Its polychromatic brick with stone banding, corner turrets, hip roofs with stepped and paired dormers, and a hexagonal central pavilion topped by a cupola and a statue of St. Francis give it a commanding presence. Inside are marble floors and stairs, wrought iron railings, and stained glass in the chapel and a skylight. The Sisters of the Poor founded the hospital to care for the chronically ill and aged, easing crowding at their St. Mary's Hospital. It admitted all sick or injured people, treated cancer patients when few others did, and later hosted a cancer research laboratory and clinic. Rear additions came in 1958 and 1966, leaving the original structure largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for its social/humanitarian service, as a hospital founded by the Sisters of the Poor that never turned away sick or injured people and pioneered several services. Under Criterion C, it is a distinct Cincinnati example of the Queen Anne style by prominent architect George W. Rapp.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84003714, listed April 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1860 Queen City Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | April 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003714 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George W. Rapp |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form describes the building as in good condition and marks it occupied and unoccupied; it notes conversion from a hospital to a senior citizens residence as a fitting continuance of its service. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 39.12710, -84.56034 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84003714.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7587966
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.