Freedman's Hospital

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freedman's Hospital was established in 1862; it was founded by the secretary of the famous Civil war between the North and South United States of America. This hospital that was situated on land bound by 12th and 13th street. and was officially named Freedmen’s in 1863. Freedmen’s hospital which is now associated with and in today’s world called Howard University Hospital.

Back in the nineteenth century during the civil war this place was established to take care of the ever growing slave population. Even after the fifteen amendment this large number of African Americans who poured into the District of Columbia for protection, freedom and medical care this was their place exclusively.

An initiative of the federal government was to build this hospital; it was rather quickly engulfed into Howard University once available. Being taken over by Howard this hospital remained and quickly developed into the first rate medical campus of today. This hospital originally was first led by Dr. Alexander T. Augusta (1825-1890) a surgeon of the U.S. Army and a major, he was one of only eight black doctors then commissioned by the Army. In 1869 the hospital moved to land owned by Howard University at the corner of fifth and West St. N.W. This Hospital became a teaching hospital for the University and In 1908 It had a face lift into a more state of the art facility.

By 1877 Dr. Augusta’s tenure ended and the next major doctor to head the hospital was Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (1858-1931) who led the hospital from 1894-1893.

In 1975 the Freedmen’s hospital made its last official name change along with its last locality change. The hospital was renamed Howard University Hospital and moved to Georgia and Florida Avenue the former site of Griffith Stadium where it still remains till this very day.