Eileen D’Amico

Wisdom Keepers from Lawrenceville United

Eileen grew up in the 9th Ward and always lived near St. Francis Hospital (now Children’s Hospital) and the critical role that hospital has played in her life. Everyone she knew worked at St. Francis, so Eileen ended up spending a lot of her time there. She reflects on how the neighborhood, community and businesses have evolved over the years. Eileen acknowledges that the Vietnam War had a huge impact on drug use in the neighborhood and had such a lasting impact for years. She considers herself one of the last to leave the neighborhood and feels that Lawrenceville really started to “come back” in the 1990s and 2000s as artists moved in, Art All Night started, progressive dinners happened, and more. Eileen shares a rich history of the community.