United States Marine Hospital (Portland, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Marine Hospital
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 331 Veranda St. Portland, Maine |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Ammi B. Young |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000161 |
| Added to NRHP | August 21, 1974 |
The Marine Hospital is an old hospital building in Portland, Maine. It is located at 331 Veranda Road on Martin's Point. This special building was finished in the late 1850s. A famous architect named Ammi B. Young designed it. It was built to help sailors who were sick or hurt. This hospital is unique because it still has its original iron railings. Today, it is part of Martin's Point Health Care. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it is an important historical site.
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About the Building
The old Marine Hospital stands on a hill at Martin's Point. This area is a piece of land that sticks out into Casco Bay. The Presumpscot River meets the bay nearby. A newer Martin's Point Health Care building is located close by.
Building Design
The Marine Hospital has three floors. It is built with strong brick walls. It also has nice granite stone details. The building looks a bit like the letter "H" from above. Its corners have special granite blocks. A fancy roof edge with brackets goes all around the building.
The windows are usually simple sash windows. They have granite tops and bottoms. The front of the building faces southwest. It has nine sections. The middle five sections have balconies. These balconies have iron railings. These railings are the original ones from when the hospital was built. A special roof section covers these porches. It matches the fancy roof edge of the building.
Hospital History
The United States government built this hospital between 1855 and 1859. It was part of the Marine Hospital Service. This service gave medical care to sailors who were sick or hurt.
Who Designed It?
Ammi B. Young designed the hospital. At that time, he was the main architect for the United States Treasury Department. He designed many government buildings. He also designed several other marine hospitals. This hospital in Portland is the only one of his marine hospitals that still has its original ironwork. This ironwork was a special part of his designs.
Serving Sailors
The Marine Hospital Service started in 1798. Portland was a very busy port city in Maine. So, a service for sailors was active there by 1805. This hospital was built where the Veranda Hotel used to be. That hotel burned down in 1847.
The Marine Hospital helped sailors until 1952. In 1956, it became a training center for the Marine Corps Reserve. Before it became part of Martin's Point Health Care, it was also used as a clinic. This clinic was run by the United States Public Health Service.
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