Spanish Military Hospital Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Spanish Military Hospital Museum
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Spanish Military Hospital
Location in Florida
Location	3 Aviles St St. Augustine, Florida
Built	1965 (1965)
Architectural style	Spanish Colonial
Website	The Spanish Military Hospital Museum
Part of	St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District (ID70000847)

The Spanish Military Hospital Museum is in St. Augustine, Florida. You can find it at 3 Aviles Street. This museum shows what medical care was like during Florida's Second Spanish Period. This time was from 1784 to 1821.

The museum is open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM. Tours start whenever people arrive. On a tour, you can see how doctors performed surgery. You will also learn about medicines from an apothecary (a person who made and sold medicines). Plus, you can walk through a garden filled with plants used for medicine.

History of the Hospital

Building the Hospital Complex

During the time when the British controlled St. Augustine (1763-1783), a carpenter from Scotland named William Watson bought a building. He changed it into a home. This building later became part of the hospital.

The hospital was actually three main parts. There was Hospital West, built during the First Spanish Period. Hospital East was built when the British were in charge. The third part was the Apothecary in the William Watson House. This house was also built during the British time.

These three buildings, along with their smaller buildings and gardens, worked together. They formed a complete hospital during the Second Spanish Period. The street that runs between the two hospital wings is called Aviles Street today. But it used to be known as Hospital Street until 1924.

Who Was Treated Here?

This hospital was only for military people. Only soldiers and military staff were treated there. Also, only military personnel worked as doctors, nurses, and other staff.

The Hospital's End

Hospital West was destroyed in a fire in 1818. The other parts of the hospital kept working for a few more years. It officially closed in 1823. This was two years into the American Territorial Period. Hospital East was also destroyed in a fire in 1895. However, the William Watson House is still standing today.

Rebuilding the Hospital

Bringing History Back to Life

In 1966, a group called the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission started a project. They wanted to rebuild the Spanish Military Hospital. They built it exactly as it looked in the 1790s. They even used the original foundations.

After the rebuilding was finished, someone had a great idea. Dr. William M. Straight, a historian, suggested using the building as a medical museum. Everyone loved the idea! Plans were made right away.

Opening the Museum

A local group, led by Dr. James DeVito, helped raise money. They started collecting funds in 1967. The rebuilt Hospital East building was officially opened to the public in 1968. Today, there are shops where Hospital West used to be.

The Museum Today

What You Can See and Do

The reconstructed Hospital East building opened in 1968. The Medical Museum itself opened on the second floor in July 1973. It was supported by several groups, including the Florida Medical Association. The museum showed exhibits about medical history.

However, because of costs, the museum closed in 1977. The building was rented out for businesses until 1990. Then, on July 20, the museum reopened. It became part of a program that showed what life was like in old St. Augustine.

Today, the State of Florida owns the building. The University of Florida helps manage it. A private business runs the museum. When you visit, the tours show you what hospital life was like in the late 1700s.

You can see a full demonstration of how surgeries were done back then. There's also an apothecary demonstration. This shows how medicines were made and used. You can also explore the medicinal herb gardens. These gardens grow plants that were used for healing.

See also

• William Watson House