Mower General Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mower General Hospital |
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Mower General Hospital, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1864
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| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1862 |
| Built by | John McArthur, Jr. (designer) |
| In use | January 1863 through May 1865 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Mower General Hospital was one of the largest hospitals for soldiers during the American Civil War. It was located in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia. The hospital was open from January 1863 until May 1865, when the war ended.
Contents
History of Mower General Hospital
Mower General Hospital was built in 1862. It was designed by a famous architect named John McArthur, Jr.. The hospital was named after Thomas Mower, a surgeon who served in the U.S. Army during earlier wars.
The hospital complex was built on 27 acres of land. It had a main area surrounded by 47 buildings called wards. These wards were like separate rooms for patients. The hospital could hold up to 3,600 patients at one time.
The first leader of the hospital was Dr. Andrew Hopkins. Sadly, he later got sick with typhoid fever and died.
Patients and Care
About 20,000 patients were treated at Mower General Hospital. It opened on January 3, 1863, and closed on May 31, 1865.
- Almost 10,000 patients (9,799) got better and went back to their army duties.
- Another 878 patients were moved to a special group called the Veteran Reserve Corps.
- About 1,363 patients were sent home because of their injuries or illnesses.
- Many others (3,718) were moved to different hospitals for more care.
- Only 257 patients died at the hospital by the end of the war. This was a very low number, especially considering how serious the soldiers' injuries and illnesses were.
Hospital Features
Mower General Hospital had many modern features for its time. It had plumbing for hot water and special wards that could be closed off to stop infections from spreading. There was also a central place to store all the supplies. The hospital even had flush toilets and played band music for the patients.
The hospital also had a small lab. Here, hospital workers made some of their own medicines. They prepared different liquid medicines and extracts. Even though the lab was small, it helped provide important treatments for the soldiers.
Wounded soldiers were brought directly to the hospital by train from battlefields in the South. People often said this journey was like "going from the seven circles of hell to heaven."
Photographs of the Hospital
In 1862, a photographer from Philadelphia named John Moran took many pictures of the hospital. He sold these photos as prints and also as stereographs. Stereographs were special photos that made images look 3D when viewed through a special device.
Moran's pictures showed both the outside and inside of the hospital. He took photos of the special medical wards and the new central storage areas.
Where Mower General Hospital Was Located
Mower General Hospital was a very important military facility. It was built in 1862 on 27 acres of land. This land was located between Stenton, Germantown, Springfield, and Abington avenues in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill area.
Today, the site where the hospital once stood is very different. Now, you can find the Wyndmoor Station, a shopping center, apartment buildings, and townhouses there.
