In 1905, Morton F. Plant built a second home in the then-small town of Clearwater, near the Belleview Biltmore hotel established by his father.

In 1912, while on vacation, Plant's son was injured in a car accident and required medical attention.

Afterwards, Plant pledged money for the building of a hospital in Clearwater, with the city coming up with the other half.

The site chosen was one of the high bluffs, unique in peninsular Florida, overlooking Clearwater Bay.

The main hospital building faces west toward the Intracoastal Waterway, the barrier islands, and the Gulf of Mexico.