Mercy Hospital and Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mercy Hospital and Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House
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Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 15th and Water Sts., Bay City, Michigan |
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| Area | 5.6 acres (2.3 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Architect | Charles Sullivan, others |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001848 |
| Added to NRHP | April 22, 1980 |
Mercy Hospital and the Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House are two important buildings in Bay City, Michigan. You can find them at 15th and Water Streets. These buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, they are known as the Bradley House. They provide apartments for people with lower incomes.
Contents
History of Mercy Hospital
Early Days: Bradley's Home Becomes a Hospital
Around 1880, a wealthy lumber businessman named Nathan B. Bradley built a large brick house. It was located near the busy lumber mills by the waterfront in Bay City. As time passed, Bradley became very important in the community. His home's location no longer suited his social life.
In 1898, Sister Mary Hilda arrived in Bay City. She was from the Sisters of Mercy. Her goal was to open a hospital. She started a fundraising effort to collect money from the public. In 1899, Mr. Bradley offered his home to the Sisters. He sold it at a much lower price than it was worth. Sister Mary Hilda accepted his offer. She spent about a year and a half getting the hospital ready. It finally opened its doors on September 20, 1900.
Growing Bigger: Hospital Additions
The hospital quickly grew. In 1905, the Sisters raised $17,000. They used this money to build a new three-story addition. Soon after, they gathered another $75,000. This allowed them to build a new four-story section. This part of the hospital opened in 1911.
An even larger wing was added in 1917. This new section had many modern medical features. It included a special kitchen for patient diets. It also had a dedicated area for children.
The Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House
In 1927, a rich local manufacturer named Mendel J. Bialy made a generous offer. He gave the Sisters $350,000. This money was for building a home for nurses. He wanted to honor his wife, Elizabeth McDowell Bialy. The new two-story brick building opened in mid-1927. It provided housing for students in Mercy's nursing program.
In 1948, a large new five-story addition was built. This new section was made of multi-colored brick. It increased the hospital's capacity to 335 beds. This made it the largest hospital in Michigan outside of Detroit. By this time, the original Bradley house was in poor condition. Patients were moved out in 1948. Only the chapel remained in the old building. In 1957, the original house was torn down. This made space for the ambulance entrance.
Challenges and Closure
Even with new programs and good medical care, the hospital faced problems. By the mid-1960s, other hospitals in Bay City were competing for patients. The debts from the 1948 addition also caused issues. The Mercy School of Nursing closed in 1965. It could not attract enough students. In 1972, the State Board of Hospital Licensing put Mercy Hospital on probation. The hospital could not overcome these difficulties. It closed its doors in 1977. In 1978, Mercy Hospital merged with the Bay City Medical Center.
Both the hospital and the Bialy house were later updated. Between 1980 and 1981, they were turned into an apartment complex.
What the Buildings Look Like
The Mercy Hospital and Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House are two brick buildings. They are located close to each other.
Mercy Hospital Building
The hospital building is made up of four main parts. These parts were built at different times: 1905, 1911, 1917, and 1948. They range from two-and-a-half to five stories tall. Each part looks balanced on its own. But when you see them connected, they create an interesting, uneven shape.
The 1905 section is a two-and-a-half story brick building. It has a sloped roof. The 1911 section is four stories tall. It has a decorative metal trim. The 1917 section is also four stories. It has a main entrance with a projecting brick porch. The upper floors of this section have more fancy decorations. They include stone corners. The 1948 section is a large five-story building. It is made of multi-colored brick. It has a strong steel and concrete frame. The ground floor has a wide brick and stone band. The main entrance has double doors set back from the building. They are surrounded by carved stone. The upper stories have stone columns and a wide stone top.
Elizabeth McDowell Bialy Memorial House
The Bialy Nurses Residence is a two-story building. It is shaped like the letter "U". It is made of brick and steel covered in brick. The basement is concrete with a stone front. The building looks balanced on both sides. It has rounded arch windows on the first floor. There is also a covered porch with arches protecting the entrance.
