Mayo Clinic’s Plummer Building to Close Bronze Doors Today

It's only happened nine times before, but today, the big, bronze doors on Mayo Clinic's Plummer Building here in Rochester will be closed.

Closing those huge ceremonial doors is the highest honor Mayo Clinic can offer, and according to this KIMT-TV story, they'll be closed at 4 p.m. today in remembrance of Sister Generose, who recently passed away.

According to the KIMT story, the bronze doors were installed back in 1928, and would close at the end of each day. However, they soon stayed open -- because Mayo Clinic was always open, the story noted. Since the 1930's, they've only be ceremoniously closed nine different times.

Today's closing, in honor of Sister Generose, will mark only the 10th times the massive doors will close. (And when the doors are called 'massive,' they're not kidding. The story notes that they're solid bronze and each stand 16-feet tall. Each one weighs about 4,000 pounds, the story says!)

My wife works in the Plummer Building, and I'm fascinated by the rich history of the building on the few times each year I get to walk through it. I've never seen the doors closed, though.  Have you? (The last time they were closed? Back in 2001, after the attacks of September 11th.)

Here's more on the history of the Plummer Building's bronze doors: