In 1889, when John H. Shoenberger - one of Pittsburgh’s wealthiest iron manufacturers and philanthropists - passed away, he bequeathed $800,000 and three acres of land to build a hospital to honor his wife, Margaret Shoenberger (1809-1878) who was known for her generosity and many acts of kindness. In 1898, the hospital was built on 46th Street in Lawrenceville.

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​The Bed Fund was established in 1929 to help patients in need by paying the $3 daily rate for a hospital room at St. Margaret Hospital. The following year, in 1930, two young brothers, Edward and Henry Dimick, brought their pennies in an elephant shaped teapot to St. Margaret Hospital and donated them to the Bed Fund, starting an annual "pilgrimage" tradition for the fund and establishing the elephant as the symbol of philanthropy at St. Margaret. If you visit the St. Margaret Foundation office, you can still see this elephant today.

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Fifty years later, in 1980, St. Margaret Hospital moved closer to its patient population in Aspinwall, where it remains today.

 

In 1986, St. Margaret Foundation was established as a public charity aimed at supporting patients of St. Margaret Hospital and the community it serves.

 

Finally, in 1997, St. Margaret Hospital became the first hospital in Pittsburgh to merge with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Through this change, St. Margaret Foundation remained independent, allowing donor funds to stay local and focused on the needs of patients in their community.

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In the Foundation’s 40-year history, philanthropy has created programs like Free Rides for Seniors, monthly health fairs in the community, free immunization clinics, three Family Health Centers to provide care in historically underrepresented areas, and more.

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​Thank you for being a part of St. Margaret's history. "St. Margaret", AKA Margaret Shoenberger, was not a saint - she was a woman who was beloved by her husband and her community because she was kind and charitable. This hospital, and by extension this Foundation, are named in her memory for a reason. That spirit of philanthropy as an act of simple care for your neighbors has carried on through decades of change. As the world of healthcare evolves, our donors are there to lend a helping hand and our staff are there to find creative solutions to difficult problems.