Dr. David J. Loring Residence and Clinic
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Dr. David J. Loring Residence and Clinic | |
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| Location | 102 Washington St., Valparaiso, Indiana |
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| Coordinates | 41°28′8″N 87°3′39″W / 41.46889°N 87.06083°W |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Lembke, Charles F. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000520 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1984 |
The Loring Residence and Clinic was the first facility built to provide medical services to Valparaiso, Indiana. The residence has continued to provide for public service through its current use by the Valparaiso Woman's Club. Dr. Loring used his home as his medical office until his death in 1914. It was Loring's initial efforts that brought medical care to the county and provided for the first hospital. Although private, it became the county's first public hospital when Loring sold the building in 1906 to build his home and clinic.
Loring was a physician and surgeon. He was vice president of the Indiana State Medical Association and founder of the Porter County Medical Society.[2]
Dr. Loring Movied to Valparaiso in 1882 after studying and practicing medicine at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Bellevue Hospital in New York and in Cincinnati. He originally moved to Francesville before settling in Valparaiso. Dr. Loring first opened a clinic and residence at the southwest corner of Jefferson Street and Michigan Street. In 1905, he decided to build a new clinic west on Jefferson on the northeast corner with Washington Street. Dr. Loring built his home in 1906 from the proceeds of the sale of his private hospital to the Valparaiso Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for $13,000. His home was designed and built by local architect and builder Charles Lembke. When Dr. Loring died in 1914, his Washington Street home and office was sold to Dr. J. R. Pagin, who sold it to the Elks Club in 1924. The Elks own building had burned that year. The Elks decided within the year to rebuild on their own site. They resold the house the same year to the Woman's Club for $30,000. It was dedicated to Sarah Porter Kinsey on September 21, 1925. They paid off the mortgage and celebrated on December 1, 1939.[3] The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The property is located at the corner of Jefferson and Lafayette streets in Valparaiso, Indiana, one block north of the County Courthouse.
Valparaiso Women's Club
The Woman's Club (founded in 1895) was a literary and social group. First known as the Ladies Reading Circle. They started a public library through book collections and gave the first $25 towards a lot for the Carnegie Library. The club was later called the Harriet Beecher Stowe Reading Circle (1896) and then the Harriet Beecher Stowe Club. In 1904 they became the Valparaiso Woman's Club, affiliated with the Indiana Federation of Clubs and the General Federation of Clubs.[4]
