« 150-Anniversary

Historic Timeline

150 years have passed since the three Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis arrived in Effingham from Germany.

HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in 1954 HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in 1954
Wintrup Family Home

1875 | Three Sisters Arrive

November 15, 1875, Sisters Euphemia Gaertner, Fortunata Honkamp and Franziska Dreisvogt arrived in Effingham, Illinois. They were greeted by the pastor and people of St. Anthony's parish church. The three Sisters rented one room in the two-story frame house of the Wintrup family, located at 506 North Third Street.

Soon they were going about the area serving the poor and the sick, without thought of any return.  All were welcomed, regardless of religion.  Doctors soon recognized that their care was truly professional, as well as generous and concerned.  Families trusted them with their loved ones.  They knew neither race nor creed - only God's loved ones; and they served them all.

St. Anthony's Hospital in 1877

1877 | St. Anthony's Hospital Opened

Mr. Michael Moenning donated six acres of land on which St. Anthony’s Hospital was built. September 15, 1877, St. Anthony’s Hospital opened. The building was a brick, two-story building, with a basement and attic. It was 47 feet long, 46 feet deep, and provided for 18 patients. 

St. Anthony's Hospital in 1917

1891 | A New Wing Added

A three-floor wing was added, then in 1917, three more floors were added, followed by a boiler room, kitchen and surgery addition in 1924.


1940-1945 | Continued Growth

A one-story structure was built to the east of the original building to accommodate a convent for the Sisters and a new annex was built which raised the bed capacity to 120.

1949 Aerial view of St. Anthony's Hospital

1949 | Tragedy in our Community

At midnight on April 4, 1949, a blaze of unknown origin engulfed the hospital. Seventy-seven lives were lost including 11 infants.

Help came from everywhere. Doctors rushed to the scene, police arrived with needed blood plasma, and staff came from area hospitals and the Sisters' hospital in Springfield and Decatur.

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St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in 1954

1954 | New St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital

Steadily over three years, the new hospital rose up to a total of six floors and two floors of equipment penthouse. Construction was completed, and the hospital was ready for occupancy, so on February 2, 1954, the new $4.5 million 140-bed hospital opened. It was renamed St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in memory of the victims who perished in the 1949 fire.

May 16, 1954, marked the dedication of St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, named "Memorial" in honor of those who died in the fire five years earlier.  Right, Governor William G. Stratton, Mayor Eugene Wenthe, and Most Reverend William A. O'Connor, Bishop of Springfield.

The Effingham fire sparked a nationwide hospital inspection for fire hazards. A National Hospital Survey investigated every hospital of 50 or more beds in all 48 states. The survey indicated that more than 90 percent of the country's 4,539 general hospitals were unsafe from fire. Since that time, major improvements have been made in laws and statues to ensure that a fire of this magnitude does not occur again.


Additions to St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital

1975 | New Additions

A new Emergency and Radiology Department and ICU were added to the hospital.

HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital Emergency Entrance in 1994

1994 | New Emergency Entrance

 A new Emergency and Radiology Department and ICU were added to the hospital.

Praire Heart Entrance at HSHS St. Anthony's

2008 | Prairie Heart

The Prairie Heart building was added. With our long-standing relationship and committed partnership with nationally-recognized cardiology group, Prairie Cardiovascular, it means you don't have to look any further for advanced heart care. 

This new facility allowed us to house all of our cardiovascular services in one location. St. Anthony’s full-time cardiologists, and Prairie Cardiovascular expert physicians continue to serve patients in the Effingham area and surrounding region.

HSHS St. Anthony's Health Center

2018 | HSHS St. Anthony's Health Center

The Emergency Department was renovated and the HSHS St. Anthony’s Health Center was opened nearby. It includes St. Anthony’s Convenient Care clinic, imaging and lab services, Women’s Wellness Center, and HSHS Medical Group physician clinics.