Brewster Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brewster Hospital |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Florida, United States |
The Brewster Hospital building is a special historic place in the LaVilla neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. You can find it at 915 West Monroe Street. On May 13, 1976, this building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site for the country.
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History of Brewster Hospital
Brewster Hospital was the very first hospital in Jacksonville that served African American people. It helped the Black community in Jacksonville from 1901 until 1966.
Why Brewster Hospital Was Needed
The hospital was started in 1901 after a huge fire, called the Great Fire of 1901, destroyed much of Jacksonville. At that time, there was no place for Black people to go for medical care. Hospitals for white people did not treat Black residents.
So, the George A. Brewster Hospital and School of Nurse Training was created. It was supported by the Women's Division of the Methodist Board of Missions. The hospital first opened in the West Monroe building. Later, it grew and opened other locations in East Jacksonville and Springfield.
Famous Nurse from Brewster Hospital
A military nurse named Abbie Sweetwine got her first nurse training at Brewster Hospital. She became famous as "The Angel of Platform 6" for her brave work during a big train crash in Britain.
How Brewster Hospital Changed
Brewster Hospital closed in 1966. This happened because of new laws, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These laws meant that hospitals could no longer be separate for different races. White hospitals had to start treating all patients. Because of this, hospitals like Brewster, which served only Black patients, lost their special funding.
The Springfield building that was part of Brewster Hospital was later rebuilt. It became Methodist Hospital in 1967. This hospital then changed names a few times. It eventually merged with another center to become Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. This center is connected to the University of Florida.
The Original Building Today
The very first Brewster Hospital building was built in 1885 as a home. It was bought in 1901 to be the hospital. It stayed in use until the hospital closed in 1966.
Around the mid-2000s, the city of Jacksonville moved the old building to a new spot nearby. They spent a lot of money to fix it up. As of 2020, a group called North Florida Land Trust uses the building.
