Indiana Medical History Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Pathology Building
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The Indiana Medical History Museum today.
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 Location in Indianapolis
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3045 West Vermont Street, Indianapolis, Ind. 46222 |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Adolph Scherrer |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000011 |
| Added to NRHP | April 25, 1972 |
The Indiana Medical History Museum is a historic building in Indianapolis. It was once part of a large hospital called the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. The museum building is special because it was used for early medical research on mental health.
On April 25, 1972, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Old Pathology Building. It is the oldest pathology laboratory of its kind that is still standing in the United States. A pathology lab is a place where scientists study diseases to understand them better.
Contents
History of the Building
A State-of-the-Art Laboratory
In the 1890s, the head of the Central State Hospital, George F. Edenharter, wanted a special building for medical research. He hired an architect named Adolph Scherrer to design it. The building, made of brick, opened in 1895.
When it was built, it was considered a very modern science lab. It had:
- A 150-seat classroom shaped like an amphitheater.
- Labs for studying bacteria and chemicals.
- A room for performing autopsies, which are medical exams to learn the cause of death.
- A library and a photography room.
- An anatomical museum, which displayed models and specimens of the human body.
A Place for Learning
From 1900 to 1956, the building was used as a classroom for medical students. Colleges, including what would later become the Indiana University School of Medicine, held classes there. Students learned about the brain, nervous system, and different types of mental health conditions. They also came to watch doctors perform autopsies to learn more about the human body.
One of the main diseases studied here was a serious illness that affected the brain and nervous system. This was a major focus for doctors in the 1920s and 1930s.
Becoming a Museum
By the 1940s, many similar labs across the country had closed. However, the Old Pathology Building was still used until 1955. In the 1960s and 1970s, most of the old hospital buildings were torn down because they were in bad shape.
Luckily, the pathology building was still in excellent condition. Its scientific records were also saved. In 1969, a group decided to turn the building into the Indiana Medical History Museum to preserve its important history. The museum has been open for public tours since 1984.
The Museum Today
The museum is a non-profit organization that cares for a collection of over 15,000 items related to the history of medicine. In 1990, it opened a gallery to show different exhibits.
The museum's library was even used as a set for scenes in the movie Eight Men Out. In 2019, to celebrate the museum's 50th anniversary, a state historic marker was placed outside the building.
Gallery
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The Old Pathology Building around the time it was built.
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The building's teaching amphitheater.
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Another view of the amphitheater classroom.
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The building's autopsy room, where medical studies were done.
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A pediatric iron lung. This item was added to the museum and was not originally from the hospital.
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A special camera used in the photography room to enlarge images from a microscope.
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A look inside the teaching amphitheater.
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The chemical laboratory where scientists did research.
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See also
