St. Eligius was founded in 1935 by Father Joseph McCabe (Edward Herrmann), a Roman Catholic priest who took on the responsibility of caring for the city's needy. In January 1956, the City of Boston bought the hospital from the church.

The hospital got its nickname because when the poor of the city went to other hospitals in the area, they were told to go "elsewhere." Those refused service at other hospitals, however, were welcomed warmly at St. Eligius Hospital.

Upon entering the facility, visitors were greeted by a white statue of St. Eligius (patron saint of artists and craftsman) which stood prominently with arms outstretched in the hospital's lobby.

The on-duty physicians serving at St. Eligius included:

• Ed Flanders as chief of staff Dr. Donald Westphall
• William Daniels as Dr. Mark Craig, Chief of surgery
• David Birney as surgeon Dr. Ben Samuels
• Ed Begley, Jr. as resident Dr. Victor Ehrlich
• David Morse as Dr. Jack Morrison
• Cynthia Sikes as Dr. Annie Cavanero
• Howie Mandel as emergency med specialist Dr. Wayne Fiscus
• Barbara Whinnery as pathologist Dr. Cathy Martin
• Terence Knox as Dr. Peter White (who raped Dr. Cathy Martin)
• G.W. Bailey as psychiatrist Dr. Hugh Beale
• Denzel Washington as Dr. Philip Chandler
• Kavi Raz as anesthesiologist Dr. V.J. Kochar
• Kim Miyori as Dr. Wendy Armstrong (who committed suicide)
• Norman Lloyd as hospital administrator and liver specialist Dr. Daniel Auschlander (later diagnosed with liver cancer)
• Mark Harmon as surgeon Dr. Robert Caldwell (later diagnosed with AIDS)
• Paul Sand as psychologist Dr. Michael Ridley
• Stephen Furst as Dr. Elliot Axelrod
• Sagan Lewis as surgeon Dr. Jaqueline Wade
• Judith Hansen as Dr. Emily Humes
• Brian Tochi as Dr. Alan Poe
• Alfre Woodard as ob-gyn Dr. Roxanne Turner
• Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Seth Griffin
• France Nuyen as surgeon Dr. Paulette Kiem
• Cindy Pickett as Nurse turned Dr. Carol Novino
• Ronny Cox as Dr. John Gideon, the hospital's new administrator.

Other hospital support staff included:

• Christina Pickles as Nurse Helen Rosenthal
• Ellen Bry as Nurse Shirley Daniels (who shot rapist Dr. Peter White)
• Jennifer Savidge as Nurse Lucy Papandrao
• Saundra Sharp as Nurse Peggy Shotwell
• Eric Laneuville as Orderly Luther Hawkins (who became an emergency medical technician)
• Byron Stewart as Orderly Warren Coolidge
• Nancy Stafford as city health advisor Joan Halloran.

On the cliffhanger finale of the 1986-1987 season, the hospital was sold to a large business concern and the building was slated for demolition. The closing scene of episode "Last Dance at the Wrecker's Ball" showed a wrecking ball about to smash into the edifice of St. Eligius Hospital.

Luckily in fall season of 1987-88 season, the hospital was saved from destruction when it was purchased by the Ecumena Hospitals Corporation, a private- for profit-health care organization. At the end of the series, Ecumena sold the hospital back to the City of Boston.

TRIVIA NOTE: The 20,000 square foot studio sound stage for ST. ELSEWHERE/NBC/1982-88, which recreated a six-floor hospital, was the longest set in television history. The series creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey modeled the set design of St. Eligius Hospital after floor plans of a real New York hospital.

The building seen as St. Elsewhere was actually the Franklin Square House Apartments, a French Second Empire designed structure built in 1868. It is located at 11 East Newton Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Although never used as a hospital, it has been the site of the St. James Hotel (its original function), the New England Conservatory of Music and as of late a senior citizen's housing development. See also - SIGNOFFS: "You can kiss my ass, Pal"

External Links

• St. Elsewhere (IMDb)
• Franklin Square House Apartments (Aerial View)