100-year business: St. John's Hospital negotiates construction, changing healthcare laws

Thousands of community members attended the dedication of St. John's Hospital in 1879, then a two-story brick building with 16 private rooms, four wards and a small chapel on the main floor. Today, St. John’s has a 12-floor, 439-bed facility at 800 E. Carpenter St. and is in the midst of a $172 million renovation, the largest construction project in the hospital’s history. Founded by the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, St. John's has become one of Springfield's largest employers, with 3,074 employees on the payroll.