Ripley Memorial Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Maternity Hospital
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Two buildings of the former Ripley Memorial Hospital
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 300 Queen Ave., N., Minneapolis, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1910 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002069 |
| Added to NRHP | March 27, 1980 |
The Maternity Hospital, also known as Ripley Memorial Hospital, is an important historical building in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today, it's called Ripley Gardens and provides homes for families. This hospital was special because it helped women, especially those who were poor or didn't have much support, have their babies safely.
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A Hospital for Women and Babies
The Maternity Hospital was started in 1886 by a brave doctor named Martha Ripley. Back then, many women died during childbirth, and Dr. Ripley wanted to change that. She was one of the few female doctors in the late 1800s. What made her hospital unique was that only women worked there as doctors and on the hospital's board.
The hospital first opened in a house at 316 15th Street South. It quickly became too small because so many women needed help. So, it moved to a bigger house at 2529 4th Avenue South.
Growing to Help More Families
The demand for Dr. Ripley's hospital kept growing. In 1896, the hospital bought a large piece of land, about 5 acres, at Glenwood and Penn Avenues. They started building new parts to help more babies and mothers.
- In 1909, the Marshall Stacy Nursery was built.
- In 1910, the Babies' Bungalow was added.
- In 1911, the Emily Paddock Cottage was completed.
Dr. Ripley worked hard to get money from the government to build an even larger hospital. Sadly, she passed away on April 18, 1912, from a breathing illness.
A New Name and New Purpose
Even after Dr. Ripley's death, her dream continued. In 1916, a big new building for the hospital was finished. To honor her, the hospital was renamed Ripley Memorial Hospital. It kept serving the community for many years.
However, in 1957, the hospital had to close. Not enough people were using it, and there wasn't enough money to keep it open. The building was sold to Children's Hospital of Minneapolis. The money left over was used to create the Ripley Memorial Foundation, which continues to help people today. In 1980, the old hospital buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important historical sites.
Ripley Gardens: Homes for Today
Years later, in 2007, the former hospital building got a new life. An organization called Aeon helped turn it into homes. Now known as Ripley Gardens, it offers affordable housing for people who don't earn a lot of money. People can rent apartments or even buy homes there.
This project was special because it was one of only twelve properties across the country that received funding from the Restore America program. This program helps bring old, important buildings back to life. It was supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and HGTV.
