Margaret Hague Materninty Hospital

Margaret Hague Materninty Hospital History

The Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital was constructed between 1928 and 1931 with a $1,600,000 bond in funding. It was proposed by Jersey City mayor Frank Hague to address the high infant mortality at the time (212 deaths per 1,000 births in Hudson County, 1923), and was named after Frank's mother. Designed by architect Christian Ziegler, the ten story art deco building held rooms for 400 mothers and their babies, a movie theater on the top floor, and a stainless steel chandelier in the delivery room. The facility was the first new building at the Jersey City Medical Complex, and was noted for its low maternal death rate. More than 350,000 babies were born over the years; notable births include Govenor James McGreevey, Martha Stewart, and two of Frank Sinatra's children.

The building was closed in 1979, and sat unused for decades. Plans to redevelop the building into condos started in 2002 and were finally completed in 2016, now called The Hague.