Wheatley-Provident Hospital

Kansas City
Jackson County

Wheatley-Provident Hospital is the sole surviving hospital building in Kansas City that was established for and run by the African-American community during the period of 1902 to 1972. Dr. J. Edward Perry founded the facility as a hospital and training school for nurses in 1902. The limestone building has two wings. The original wing was built in 1902 as the St. Joseph’s Parochial School. The second wing, added in 1925, was designed by the well-known Kansas City architecture firm of Hoit, Price, and Barnes. One of the last historic buildings in this part of Kansas City, Wheatly-Provident Hospital retains a strong historical association with the 18th and Vine neighborhood just a few blocks to the east, which was the heart of Kansas City’s African-American community during the years of segregation. The building is vacant. It is threatened by neglect and is currently listed as a dangerous building by the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Wheatley-Provident Hospital is listed in the Kansas City Register of Historic Places.