Boston City Hospital
Historical note
Due to the need in the mid 1800's for a hospital to care for the sick poor, the city initiated plans for the construction of a city hospital. Chapter 113 of the Acts of 1858 established a City Hospital. Construction began in 1861 and the Boston City Hospital opened on June 1, 1864. The Hospital was under the charge of a Board of Trustees. Over time, besides the main hospital, the Trustees had charge of the South Department for contagious diseases, the Sanatorium Division at 249 River Street, Mattapan (for tuberculosis patients), Long Island Division (for chronic diseases) and East Boston Relief Station. Relief Stations were closed to patients on March 15, 1938; East Boston Relief Station was reopened on a twenty-four hour basis on October 15, 1945. The trustees were initially incorporated by Chapter 174 of the Acts of 1880 and authorized to receive and hold real and personal estate bequeathed or devised to said corporation to an amount not exceeding $1,000,000. By the 1950s, the trustees were authorized to receive and hold real and personal estate bequeathed or devised to said hospital corporation to an amount not exceeding $10,000,000. The Hospital Department and the Health Department were merged as the Health and Hospitals Department by Chapter 656 of the Acts of 1965. The Board of Health and Hospitals by this same statute was incorporated as the Board of Trustees of Health and Hospitals.
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Boston City Hospital collection
Boston City Hospital merger files
City Council Committee on Establishing a City Hospital records
This series is divided into two sub series. Sub series I: Committee records includes the notes, minutes, reports and orders of the Committee. Sub series II: Correspondence includes the letters received in response to the Committee's October 1849 inquiry to specific physicians, and also the letters received in March and April 1850 in response to the circular sent to the Massachusetts Medical Society.