Jefferson General Hospital facts for kids
Jefferson General Hospital was a very important place during the American Civil War. It was one of the biggest hospitals back then! Located in what is now Jeffersonville, Indiana, it helped thousands of soldiers who were sick or hurt.
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Jefferson General Hospital: A Giant Civil War Hospital
Building a Big Hospital for Soldiers
The hospital opened on February 21, 1864. It stayed open until December 1866. It was built on land owned by Jesse D. Bright. He was a U.S. Senator from Indiana. Senator Bright was thought to support the Southern states during the war. Because of this, he was removed from his job in 1862. The Union government then took his land without paying for it. This was similar to what happened at Arlington National Cemetery.
The new hospital was built to replace an older one at Camp Joe Holt. It was a huge place! There were 27 buildings in total. Each building was 175 feet long and 20 feet wide. They were arranged in a circle, making a path about half a mile around.
Inside the Hospital Wards
Twenty-four of these buildings were patient wards. Each ward had 53 beds for patients. There was also one bed for the ward master, who helped manage the ward. To keep everyone warm, each ward had four large cast iron stoves.
Inside the big circle of buildings, there were other important places. These included a chapel for quiet time. There were also reading rooms for soldiers. A post office helped them send and receive letters. A special building held medicines and tools. There was also a "dead house" for those who passed away.
Caring for Thousands of Soldiers
During the time it was open, many people worked at the hospital. Dr. Middleton Goldsmith was the main surgeon. He was like the head doctor. Mrs. Arbuckle was the chief nurse, helping to lead the nursing staff. The hospital treated a huge number of people. In total, 16,120 soldiers received care there.
Sadly, some soldiers did not recover. Those who died at the hospital were buried nearby. Their burial ground is now where Meijer Fields is located.
What Happened After the War?
After the Civil War ended, Jefferson General Hospital closed. The buildings were first meant to become a home for soldiers. They were given to the state of Indiana for this purpose. However, after only two months, the plan changed. The soldiers' home was built somewhere else, near Knightstown, Indiana. The hospital buildings were then given back to the U.S. Government.
New Uses for the Old Hospital
For several years, until 1874, the buildings were used as storage. The army kept things like clothing and blankets there. Later, a man named James Holt bought the property. When he passed away around 1915, he gave the land to his Masonic Lodge. This was Clark Lodge #40. They planned to use it as a Masonic orphanage. An orphanage is a home for children who have lost their parents.
In 1962, the Indiana Historical Bureau placed a special marker on the property. This marker tells people about the hospital's history.
A New Masonic Temple
Thirty-three years later, Clark Lodge decided to build a new Masonic temple on the property. Their old building was hard to keep up. Its stairs also made it difficult for older members to attend meetings. The groundbreaking for the new building happened in late March. The building was ready to be used by November.
Since there were rarely any Masonic orphans to house, the orphanage building was sold in 2006. The money from the sale was used for a good cause. It helped create college scholarships for young people with Masonic family connections.
