Saint Ann’s Infirmary

Saint Ann’s Infirmary is significant to Lafayette’s history because of the benevolent medical service it has provided for Freetown and the Lafayette community. It was founded in 1937 by the Saloom family, and it has had the distinction of being the oldest, continuously-run medical facility in Lafayette. Saint Ann’s Infirmary is located in the Freetown-Port Rico National Historic District. It was the first medical facility in Lafayette to accept AfricanAmerican patients, and Lafayette’s first African-American apothecary, Dr. Butler, supplied the medicine and medical supplies for the facility. The historic Saloom family residence is located next door at 1331 Jefferson Street. The Infirmary building and property remained in the Saloom family until the property was sold in 1999 for $200,000, to the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic, Inc. In 2016, when the non-profit clinic was dissolved, the property was donated to Lafayette General Foundation. The building’s Spanish Revival style elements include the Roman arches at the openings, the exterior horizontal molding along the front façade, and the decorative treatment at the pedimental parapet that delineates the front entrance.