Portsmouth Cottage Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Portsmouth Cottage Hospital
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Junkins Ave., S side of South Mill Pond, Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Ball, Harry B.; Coit, Robert |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000954 |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1996 |
The Portsmouth Cottage Hospital was a very important place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was the first hospital ever built in the city! It opened in 1884 and was one of the first hospitals in all of New Hampshire.
For many years, it was the main hospital for Portsmouth. It helped people get better until 1986. That's when a new hospital, the Portsmouth Regional Hospital, opened. Today, the old hospital buildings are used for city offices, the police station, and a home for older people. Some of its oldest parts were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means they are important historical buildings.
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The Hospital's Story: A Place of Care
The Portsmouth Cottage Hospital started in 1884. It grew from people's desire to help others. Before this, there were places called almshouses. These were homes for poor and needy people. There was also care for soldiers wounded in the American Civil War.
How the Hospital Began
A woman named Harriet Kimball was key to starting the hospital. Her father was a local pharmacist. The hospital first opened at 51 Court Street. It was in a large house that is now part of the Strawbery Banke museum.
This first building quickly became too small. So, in 1889, people started raising money. They wanted to build a bigger, special hospital building.
Building a New Home for Healing
Land was bought on the south side of the South Mill Pond. The main part of the new hospital opened in 1895. It was a brick building with two and a half stories. A Boston architect named Harry Ball designed it.
The hospital was run as a charity. This means it helped many patients for free or at a lower cost. The city gave it a little money until 1903. The main building was made bigger several times before 1962. Then, a more modern building was built right next to it.
Changes Over Time
After 1962, the old 1895 building was used for other things. It became a clinic for mental health and offices for the hospital staff. In 1983, a company called Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) bought the whole hospital complex.
HCA then opened the new Portsmouth Regional Hospital in 1986. When the new hospital opened, the old campus closed down.
What Happened Next?
The city of Portsmouth bought the old hospital campus in 1986. The building from 1962 and a former nurses' home were changed. They now hold city offices and the main police station. The original 1895 building was later turned into a living facility for senior citizens.
