1928-2028: Celebrating The Iconic UI Hospital Gothic Tower.

*This art print by **P Buckley Moss** (2007*) *offers a beautiful view of the University Hospital Tower – a striking example of Gothic architecture, standing nearly 65 meters tall, on the west side of Iowa City.*

The University of Iowa Hospital Gothic Tower. When the move to the west side was finally completed in 1928, University Hospital with its beautiful Gothic Tower became the foundation of the modern University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Today, the gothic crown has been engulfed with the 1976 Boyd Tower addition and has been dwarfed by other larger medical buildings, but from the west steps of Old Capitol it can still be clearly viewed. The Tower remains a notable landmark and historic symbol of University of Iowa Health Care, often recognized for its unique, scholarly architecture amidst modern additions.

Here on this page, we simply want to offer you a wonderful assortment of photographs of our iconic University of Iowa Hospital Gothic Tower. So, here we go…

Here (above) is the oldest photograph of the **SUI Gothic Tower** that we have come across. It was taken in **February 1928** by the famed **University photographer Fred Kent** and the building is still under construction. A second Kent photograph (below) was taken in the late summer or early fall of 1928 and, as you can see, the entire building looks to be ready for its dedication in November 1928..

In 1919, the State of Iowa made it a law that the University Hospital in Iowa City must accept patients from across Iowa. With only 125 beds and no expansion possibilities at its location on Iowa Avenue, the best option is to look westward and build an expanded state-of-the-art facility. With a $2,225,000 gift from the Rockefeller Foundation and matching funds from the state, architect Amos B. Emery is hired to design the facility. The 31-year-old, with his love of Gothic architecture, designed a 750-bed, three-wing red-brick building with a 210-foot-high Gothic Tower that quickly becomes an iconic cornerstone on the west side of the Iowa River. You can read more details here.

These two sketches from the 1920’s (below) were captured on film by Fred W. Kent…

In the 1930’s, several “colorized” picture postcards featuring the new SUI general hospital were produced. Here (below) are three of them…

As the photographs show (below), the west side of the Iowa River had very few buildings when the hospital opened in 1928.

The Gothic Tower takes on a whole different look at night (below)…

From the looks of the automobiles, it appears these pics (below) were taken in the 1940’s and 1950’s…

*How about a **Birds-Eye View** – Can you spot the Gothic Tower? The first pic (above) comes from the 1930’s, while the second (below) comes from the early 1940’s…*

(Above) *Iowa City from the air – circa 1965 – looking to the east.* (Below) *A more recent pic of the west side. Can you find the Hospital Tower?*

Here’s the Gothic Tower dragon (below) keeping careful watch over the entryway…

Sadly, today, the first four floors of the tower (below right) have been surrounded – and hidden from view – by the construction of Boyd Tower (1976).

In 2014, Iowa City Press-Citizen photographer Matthew Holst was given exclusive access to the SUI Gothic Tower and took some spectacular shots. The next twelve pics (below) come from Holst’ camera…

Finally, we close with a few contemporary photographs (below) of the SUI Gothic Tower. In the fall of 2028, University of Iowa Libraries will be overseeing a UIHC Gothic Tower Centennial Celebration, and in preparation for that special event, Our Iowa Heritage has put together this page and a corresponding story page that honors this historic and iconic building here in Iowa City. More details coming as to what that celebration will look like! Bookmark this page to stay up to date for 2028!