I recently ran a search for South Dakota hospitals that have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places for a Facebook post for our office (below), which led me to wonder about what historic photographs of hospitals are in the SD Digital Archives, and what they tell me about that slice of our built history.
The earliest hospitals in the territory were built with early military installations. Once permanent settlement started, many of the early local hospitals were operated in conjunction with doctor’s clinics and often housed in buildings that were large houses in appearance. In days before strict regulations, community health care was also undertaken by pharmacists, osteopaths, homeopaths, and others. The Yankton State Hospital for mental health care was one of the earliest public institutions, followed by the state and federal veteran’s hospitals in Hot Springs and the state tuberculosis sanitarium in Custer. As the profession changed near the turn-of-the-century, larger specialized buildings were erected, looking similar in style to the consolidated schools that were built at the same time. In the 1910s-1930s, even larger facilities were built with wings for different care specialties.
Hospital at Fort Sisseton
The 1865 hospital at Fort Sisseton is a two-story square brick building with a pyramidal roof.
- 1915 photograph of Fort Sisseton-Hospital, #2010-10-06-014, SDSHS.
- 1934 Fort Sisseton hospital, #2010-10-06-023, SDSHS.
- 1936 photograph of the Fort Sisseton hospital, #2010-10-04-021, and #2010-10-11-011, SDSHS.
- Hospital building, c1950s, #2010-10-04-012, SDSHS.
Fort Sully Hospital
The 1866 hospital at Fort Sully was a two-and-a-half story, wood-frame building with a front porch, lapped and shingle siding, gambrel roof, and hip roof dormers. The fort closed in 1894 and the building was moved to an area ranch in 1898 [Mrs. E. L.
Thompson, “75 Years of Sully County History, 1883-1958,” p298-318].
- 1912 view of the Fort Sully hospital, #2010-10-12-003, SDSHS.
- Color photograph of Fort Sully hospital, #2011-10-20-358, SDSHS. And front facade, #2011-10-20-330.
Homestake Hospital, Lead
The first hospital for the Homestake mine was a small log/wood-frame building.
- First Homestake Hospital, #2009-11-30-015, SDSHS.
St. Mary’s Hospital, Pierre
St. Mary’s Hospital was originally founded in 1899 by the Benedictine Sisters when the church bought the former Park Hotel. [Janice Brozik Cerney, Pierre and Fort Pierre (Charleston, SC: Acadia Publishing Co., 2006), 100; “Avera St. Mary’s History,” Avera.org website; “Band of Sisters,” Capitol Journal (Pierre SD), May 29, 2014; Turner County Herald (Hurley SD), December 31, 1896 and May 16, 1901]. The hospital built on an elevator bay on the east elevation between 1908 and 1915 [Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (October 1908), sheet 7; (December 1915), sheet 8]. The hospital built a new brick building in 1930 to the east but continued using the old one for a time as dormitory, chapel, laundry, and coal room [Cerney, Pierre and Fort Pierre , 100; Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (May 1941), sheet 6]. The old building was demolished in 1952 and replaced with a new nursing care facility designed by Mitchell architect Warren A. Dixon [Richard L. Popp, South Dakota, 1900-1930 in Vintage Postcards (2001), 57; online obituary, Bittner Funeral Chapel]. See also, my earlier post: In Memorium, City Edition: Pierre
- 1909 high-resolution photograph of the hospital, #2014-10-29-344, SDSHS. And another similar, #2014-10-29-353, SDSHS.
- 1931 photo of completed building, Miller Studio, #2010-02-09-012, SDSHS.
- An early photograph with cars parked in front, #2010-02-08-006, SDSHS.
- Photo of 1930 building, c1950s, by The Miller Studio, Pierre, #2015-01-05-313, SDSHS.
- A tinted photo postcard showing the 1930 building with the old hotel building behind it, #2014-12-19-312, SDSHS.
- Dr. Robinson at Work in Saint Mary’s Hospital, 801 East Sioux Avenue, Pierre, #2011-01-14-002, SDSHS.
- St. Mary’s School of Nursing, Pierre, #2015-03-31-337, SDSHS.
Providence Hospital, Faulkton / Faulk County Memorial Hospital
The Providence Hospital opened in Faulkton in 1917 under the direction of the Dr. Abbie Ann Jarvis. Jarvis was the first woman to be licensed as a pharmacist in South Dakota in 1895 and the first licensed as a physician in 1898 [“History,” Faulkton Area Medical Center]. The original hospital had the form of a large Queen Anne style Victorian house, with a rubblestone-faced ground level and a octagonal turret. The hospital built a new facility in 1949-1951, which was expanded in 1966-1968. A new attached clinic was built in 1992, and a whole new hospital facility was built in 2006-2007 on the southwest edge of Faulkton [“History,” Faulkton Area Medical Center].
- Providence Hospital, #2009-07-28-015, SDSHS.
- Providence Hospital, #2009-07-28-012, SDSHS.
- Faulkton hospital, #2009-07-24-011, SDSHS.
- c1950 photo of the new memorial hospital under construction, #2009-07-24-014, SDSHS.
- c1950 photo of the new hospital with the old house in the background, #2009-07-24-015, SDSHS.
More about Jarvis: “A Lifetime of Caring and Sharing,” February 2015, SD Historical Society Foundation.
Peabody Hospital, Webster
The Peabody Hospital in Webster was operated from a two-and-a-half story Colonial Revival style house building with a full-width front porch. In 1913, contract firm Carlson & Hasslen built Peabody an eighteen-room hospital on Main Street [The Construction News 35 (June 7, 1913), 38]. The 1909 Williams House at 1009 Main St was purchased for use as a nurse’s home [state survey record].
- Peabody Hospital, Webster, #2010-07-26-001, SDSHS
Dr. Bostrom Hospital, DeSmet
Dr. Bostrom’s hospital in DeSmet was established in the former residence of L.E. Sasse in the 1910s, but was short-lived and the building became an apartment building.
- De Smet hospital, #2009-07-15-006, SDSHS.
Ipswich Community Hospital
The Ipswich Community Hospital took over the grand Colonial-Revival style Marcus Beebe House in 1946 until 1965 [state survey record].
- Marcus P Beebe Residence and Community Hospital, 507 4th Street, #2009-10-07-007, SDSHS.
St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen
The first St. Luke’s Hospital building was built in 1901 from a design by E.J. Donohue, an architect from St. Paul MN. The building was brick with trim of Kasota stone [Stone 22 (March 1901), 278; Improvement Bulletin 23 (March 16, 1901), 13]. The four-story building had a hip roof, central cupola, roof dormers, and several multi-level porches centered on different elevations. The hospital was started by the Presentation Sisters who had their convent in Aberdeen. The hospital had a 50×60 ft. addition along Fourth St. in 1907, a new wing in 1913 designed by Christopher Boehme [The Construction News, v.36, (October 25, 1913), 29], and a new nurse’s home addition in 1916. In 1914, a 69-acre St. Isidore’s farm was established to provide food for patients [History of the Presentation Sisters in Dakota Territory]. A four-story addition in 1919 was designed by Holmes & Flinn with George C. Hagel [sic – Hugill?] [The American Contractor 40 (May 3, 1919), 93; The American Contractor 40 (April 24, 1919), 82]. The new six-story, U-shaped St. Luke’s hospital was built with fireproof construction methods in 1924-1926 [History of the Presentation Sisters in Dakota Territory].
In 1940-1941, the Lincoln Hospital building was moved to serve as an annex for St. Luke’s hospital by the Crowe Company of St. Paul MN; a bridge over the street now connects the buildings [Lincoln Hospital and Aberdeen Clinic, Then & Now, Aberdeen Area History; Crowe Construction Management history website].
- Color postcard, 1910, #2015-07-10-307, SDSHS.
- Color postcard, 1924, #LL02.26.35.16, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- St. Luke’s medical annex, 4-stories, #2009-06-05-007, SDSHS.
- St. Luke’s Hospital (6-story), #2009-06-05-008, SDSHS.
- St. Luke’s Hospital, Then-and-Now, Aberdeen Area History.
Bartron Hospital, Watertown
Bartron Hospital was built in 1911, with additions or new buildings in 1914 and 1916. It was designed by Watertown architects Ursa Freed Assoc. with Maurice Hockman.
- Colorized postcard, of four hospital locations and Lake Kampeska, #2015-01-16-304, SDSHS.
Luther Hospital, Watertown
The Luther Hospital in Watertown was a four-story brick building with a hip roof, roof dormers, cupola, and a three-story porch (with the top two levels enclosed). In 1913, Watertown architect Maurice A. Hockman designed a hospital for the Lutheran church [The Construction News, v.36, (October 18, 1913), 35], but state survey records indicate that the hospital had its first building in 1901. The name was changed to Memorial Hospital in 1951.
- Luther Hospital, Watertown, #2015-01-16-303, SDSHS.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Hot Springs
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital was built for the Benedictine Sisters in 1902 using sandstone from the Burke quarries. It was three stories and designed by Deadwood architect Otho C. Jewett [Northwestern Lancet 21 (May 15, 1901), 225; Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times (SD), March 29, 1901; Hot Springs Weekly Star (SD), January 24, 1902]
- Postcard with people standing outside, published by H.A. Fowler, #2009-03-13-005, SDSHS.
- Photo postcard of “Sister Hospital” after addition, #2008-06-13-050, SDSHS. And this of Sisters’ Sanitarium, #2008-06-13-042, SDSHS.
- Colorized postcard after addition, #LL02.26.35.09, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Photo of building with four-story addition, #2008-06-16-013, SDSHS.
State Soldiers Home, Hot Springs
The hospital at the State Soldiers Home had multi-colored stone walls with quoins at the corners, a hip roof and a central recessed two-story porch.
- Photo of men standing outside State Soldiers Home, by William Richard Cross, #2008-01-29-013, SDSHS.
- 1915 colorized postcard of main building at State Soldiers’ Home, #2015-01-28-335, SDSHS.
- c1976 image of main building, #2008-02-21-070, SDSHS.
- Hospital at State Soldiers Home, 2500 Minnekahta Avenue, #2008-06-16-015, SDSHS.
Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hot Springs
The federal veteran’s hospital in Hot Springs was designed by Thomas R. Kimball (1891-1934) and built from 1902 to 1907. A designated hospital building was erected in 1926 with several additions [state survey record].
- View of the front main building with men in uniform standing in front, #2008-04-24-025, SDSHS.
- Photo postcard of arcade within the main building, by L.E. Highley, #2008-06-13-054, SDSHS. And panoramic photo of the arcade, #2008-04-24-033, SDSHS.
- View of porches on the ends of the wings, #2008-04-24-007, SDSHS.
- Wide view of the main buildings, wings, and grounds, #2008-04-24-037, SDSHS.
Images in the newspaper:
- Hot Springs Weekly Star (SD), January 16, 1903
- Hot Springs Weekly Star (SD), May 10, 1907
St. Joseph Hospital, Mitchell
The first St. Joseph Hospital in Mitchell was founded by the Presentation Sisters of Aberdeen in 1905, and the first building was completed in 1906 [History of the Presentation Sisters in Dakota Territory]. Contractor/architect Rasmus K. Hafsos of Canton/Aberdeen designed a hospital in Mitchell in 1905 [Dakota Farmers’ Leader (Canton SD), December 15, 1905]. The three-story brick building had a hip roof, roof dormers, a skylight on one side (probably for the operating theater), an entrance porch, and three-story side porches. A new 1920-1921 hospital building was designed by Edwin H. Lundie with St. Paul architectural firm Slifer, Lundie, & Abrahamson [The American Contractor, v.42 (May 21, 1921), 77], or with George C. Hugill [The American Contractor, v.41 (January 24, 1920), 58].
- 1909 photo of the first hospital, by F.E. Hill, #2015-01-02-303, SDSHS. And after new landscaping with nurses sitting on the porches, #2014-12-31-340, SDSHS.
- 1934 postcard of the hospital and nurse’s home, by L.E.Stair, #LL02.26.35.14, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Photo postcard of the hospital campus with a portion of a mid-century building in the foreground, #2015-06-24-305, SDSHS.
St. Joseph’s Hospital Mitchell SD, #2014-12-31-340, SDSHS
Madison Hospital
Madison Community Hospital was built in 1920 and designed by Sioux Falls architect Perkins & McWayne [The American Contractor 40 (March 1, 1919), 82B; The American Contractor 40 (September 20, 1919), 60E]. The three story brick building had a low parapet roof, slightly-projecting entrance, and a ground-floor garage on one end (for ambulances?). A new hospital was built in 1962 and the old building was bought by Dakota State University in 1966 and became Heston Hall for administrative offices and a computer center in 1970 [c1936 photograph, Dakota State University. Karl E. Mundt Library].
- Postcard of the New Madison Hospital, #2009-12-10-003, SDSHS. And a higher resolution version, #LL02.26.35.08, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- c1936 photograph, Karl E. Mundt Library, DSU, SD Digital Library.
- c1966 photograph, Karl E. Mundt Library, DSU, SD Digital Library.
St. Bernard’s Hospital, Milbank
The hospital in Milbank was three-stories, brick with corbelled dentils and a flat roof, and had an entrance porch and enclosed side porches.
- St. Bernard’s Hospital, Milbank, #2014-12-31-316, SDSHS.
Yankton State Hospital
The state mental health hospital was first established in Yankton in 1879. The first main building and early wings/buildings in the 1880s and 1890s were designed by architect Wallace L. Dow. After a 1899 fire, the state invested in constructing substantial masonry buildings. “In 1918, the name of the hospital was officially changed from Dakota Hospital for the Insane to the Yankton State Hospital…. On July 1, 1974, the name of the facility was changed from Yankton State Hospital to the South Dakota Human Services Center.” [HSC History, SD Department of Social Services] The facility had a wide variety of buildings including residential wards, hospitals, administration, chapel, barns, and more. A new facility was built in 1994 in lots to the north, and many historic buildings were left vacant until demolished in 2013.
The Mead Building (women’s building) is currently being rehabilitated after some years of vacancy by the Yankton County Historical Society for the Mead Cultural Education Center, learn about the project here.
- Administration Building, State Hospital, #2010-08-06-019, SDSHS. And a wider view postcard, #2015-01-21-303.
- State Hospital grounds showing Women’s Receiving Ward, #2010-08-06-016, SDSHS.
- Marble entry stairway, Mead Building, #2010-08-06-018, SDSHS.
- Dining Room, Mead Building, #2010-08-06-017, SDSHS.
- Men’s Receiving Ward, State Hospital, #2010-08-06-015, SDSHS.
- Amusement hall, #2010-08-06-020, SDSHS.
- Adams Building, 1992, #2015-06-29-324, SDSHS.
- Howard Building, 1992, #2015-06-27-317, SDSHS.
- Jayne Building, 1992, #2015-06-26-301, SDSHS. And front facade, #2015-06-26-302.
Hiawatha Indian Asylum, Canton
In 1898, the U.S. Congress passed a law creating a segregated asylum for native “inmates.” The Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians was opened in 1902. More than 350 native persons from fifty tribes across the country were institutionalized there. In 1933, the new Commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier, finally addressed the lingering controversies surrounding the Canton asylum. After closure, the state used the facility but turned it over to the city in 1946. Most buildings were dismantled, and in the 1950s, the Hiawatha municipal golf course was built at the site. See also, my earlier post: Grant Them Rest: The Canton Asylum.
- 1905 photo postcard of main building, #2009-07-02-009, SDSHS.
- Wide view of U.S. Gov’t Indian Asylum, Canton, So. Dakota, Only One in the U.S.A., #2009-07-01-008, SDSHS.
Northern Hospital, Redfield
An early postcard shows one of the first stone buildings being Romanesque (maybe with some Chateauesque), with a tall, square center tower, parapet gables, and a front porch. The Northern Hospital for the Insane opened in 1902. “In 1913, the name was changed to State School and Home for the Feeble Minded. It became known as The Redfield State Hospital and School in 1951, and in 1989 we took our current name [the South Dakota Developmental Center.” The first hospital on the campus was built in 1912-1914, and the second in 1926 [state survey records]. In 1963, “there were 11 large buildings on campus used for housing.” [“The History of SDDC,” SD Department of Human Services].
- Northern Hospital, Redfield, S.D., postcard, #2014-12-17-338, SDSHS.
St. Joseph Hospital, Deadwood
St. Joseph Hospital was first opened in 1897 by the Benedictine Sisters in a remodeled building [Kaija Swisher, “The first school of nursing in S.D. (part 1),” Black Hills Pioneer (Deadwood SD), May 8, 2015]. They added a third floor in 1904 and a fourth floor in 1917. Reportedly, the first nursing school in South Dakota, a three-year course, was established at St. Joseph’s in 1905 [Swisher, “The first school of nursing in S.D. (part 2),” Black Hills Pioneer (Deadwood SD), May 15, 2015]. In 1910, the hospital built on at 61 Charles Street from a design by The Black Hills Co. The brick building had arched window lintels with keystones, a Celtic cross on the roof, and the addition portion had jack lintels, a two-story veranda, and roof dormers.
- Front view, #2008-05-23-021, SDSHS.
- Angled view of St. Josephs, #2008-05-23-019, SDSHS.
- Architects rendering for a mid-century hospital building, #2009-03-02-006, SDSHS.
Methodist Episcopal State Hospital, Mitchell
The Methodist hospital in Mitchell was three stories, brick, had side parapet gables, hip tile roof, a brick entrance porch, and a one-story enclosed porch on the side. It was designed by Sioux Falls architect John C. Chapman [The American Contractor 37 (October 28, 1916), 88; The American Contractor 40 (September 20, 1919), 60E]. Local architects Kings & Dixon designed a multi-story addition in 1922 [The American Contractor, v.43 (December 23, 1922), 61A; The Modern Hospital 19 (November 1922), 86].
- M.E. State Hospital Mitchell, #2015-01-02-301, SDSHS.
- A larger but similarly designed building was depicted in a postcard by L.E. Stair, #LL02.26.35.05, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
John Burns Memorial Hospital, Belle Fourche
The hospital was a three-story brick building with a projected entrance.
- John Burns Memorial Hospital, Belle Fourche, #2008-05-27-040, SDSHS.
Dr. Lowe Hospital, Mobridge
The Lowe Hospital was a two-story brick building with a flat roof and projected entrance.
- Mobridge Hospital, Hu-Mo Photo Service, #2010-01-06-004, SDSHS.
Mobridge Hospital
The building was two-and-a-half stories with a gable roof, roof dormers, and side porches.
- Mobridge hospital, by Hu-Mo Photo Service, #2010-01-06-003, SDSHS.
Dakota Hospital, Vermillion
The Dakota Hospital Association was incorporated in 1930. In 1931, the board hired Sioux City architectural firm Beuttler and Arnold to develop a grand design for the building. A Public Works Administration grant was secured in 1934 to help fund the construction, which took place during 1934-1935. The Dakota Hospital was a three-story Art Deco/Moderne brick building with a central entrance, but was substantially simplified from the first published architectural rendering. [Evelyn H. Schlenker, The Dakota Hospital Association… 2017].
- Dakota Hospital, Vermillion, S.D., #2015-01-15-311, SDSHS.
Holy Infant Hospital, Hoven
The drawing on the postcard of the hospital shows a relatively large Art Deco building, three-stories with vertical columns of windows.
- Postcard of a colorized drawing of the hospital, #2014-12-30-309, SDSHS.
Hospital at Flandreau Indian School / Wayazanka Tipi
- Flandreau Indian School – Hospital. #2009-07-28-026, SDSHS.
Yankton Indian Hospital, Wagner
The tribal hospital at Wagner was one-story with a flat roof.
- Yankton Indian Hospital, Wagner, #2015-01-15-316, SDSHS.
Winner General Hospital / Rosebud Community Hospital
In 1950, a new Rosebud Community Hospital was built. It was a two-story brick building with a flat roof and corner windows, in a Moderne architectural style.
- Winner General Hospital, while in operation, #2015-01-16-311, SDSHS.
- Winner General Hospital, 1950, #2010-08-05-002, SDSHS
- Rosebud Community Hospital, 1950, #2010-08-05-001, SDSHS
McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls
The historic hospital was four-and-a-half stories with a classical entry portico and two-story porches on either side elevation, and was expanded to two angled wings from a central point. The original 1910 building was designed by Sioux Falls architect Joseph Schwarz [The American Contractor 31 (August 20, 1910), 30]. The addition was designed by Holmes & Flinn (Chicago) and supervised by George C. Hugill [The American Contractor 39 (June 15, 1918), 64E].
- The original McKennan Hospital, colorized postcard, 1914, #2015-01-14-301, SDSHS. And #LL02.26.35.04, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Colorized postcard with wings, #2015-01-07-348, SDSHS. And #LL02.26.35.03, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Bird’s eye view, after many additions, #2014-12-06-319, SDSHS.
Mellette County Red Cross Hospital, White River
The two-story wood-frame building had a gable roof and open front entrance porch.
- Red Cross Hospital, White River, #2015-01-16-310, SDSHS.
Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton
The nursing school at Sacred Heart Hospital was opened in 1905; it was later folded into the Mount Marty College offerings in 1964 [“Important Dates in MMC History,” Mount Marty College website].
The design for a new facility for the Catholic hospital was from architectural firm, Hartford & Jacobson of St. Paul MN, and built in 1912-1915 by Goetz Construction Co. of Yankton [Grow, Kathy K. and Lois H. Varvel. Yankton, South Dakota in Vintage Postcards. Charleston SC: Arcadia, p64; The Construction News, v.36, (November 1, 1913), 30; The American Contractor 35 (June 13, 1914), 77]. The five-story hospital had two parapet gables, and the top window were arched. Only the center and one wing were originally completed. The second wing was built from 1926-1928 under the direction of architect William L. Steele [D. Murphy, “William LaBarthe Steele (1875-1949), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects (Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, May 8, 2017), E-Nebraska History]. When the final wing was built, the design of that wing changed slightly so they’re not identical, but the second wing has a flatter roof.
The hospital finished a new building in 1981 [“Important Dates in MMC History,” Mount Marty College website].
- Postcard of architectural rendering, #LL02.26.35.12, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Sacred Heart Hospital postcard, one wing, #LL02.26.35.11, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Colorized postcard of the hospital with final landscaping, #LL02.26.35.13, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- Photo postcard of hospital with the final wing built, #2010-08-10-019, SDSHS.
- Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing, Cadet Corps group portrait, #2015-07-07-304, SDSHS.
State Tuberculosis Hospital, Custer
The main building of the tuberculosis hospital was two-stories masonry, with two parapet gables on the ends, with covered connections to adjoining buildings in the hospital complex.
- Tuberculosis Hospital, 500 North 5th Street, #2011-07-11-306, lantern slide H2011-014 in the Rev. H. J. Loemker collection, SDSHS. [Says Hot Springs…?]
- Photo postcard, front facade of State Tuberculosis Sanitorium, by Carl H. Rise, #2008-03-10-020, SDSHS.
- Wide view of State Sanatorium, Custer, #2015-01-23-317, SDSHS.
- Birds-eye view of Sanator by Rise Studio, #2008-03-12-001, SDSHS.
- 1940s photograph of the front of the Custer sanitarium, #2014-09-04-305, SDSHS.
Nichols Sanitarium / Lutheran Hospital, Hot Springs
Perry Nichols established his cancer treatment center in 1917. It later became the Lutheran Hospital [“Our History,” Fall River Health Services website]. The large hilltop stone building had three stories, a small section of two-story open porches that were later expanded into large wrap-around porches, and a castellated cornice with round turrets at the corners. The building is still extant, but has been vacant.
- Dr. Nichols Sanitarium, Hot Springs, by S.D. Butcher & Son, #2009-03-13-006, SDSHS.
- Lutheran Hospital, Hot Springs, by Stevens Photo, #2008-06-16-014, SDSHS. And #2008-03-10-017.
Methodist Deaconess Hospital, Rapid City
The 1923 Methodist Deaconess Hospital has a flat roof, brick walls, and once had a wrap-around one-story porch. A 1911 house was incorporated as a nurse’s home for the hospital.
- 1928 postcard of Methodist Hospital, #2009-03-13-007, SDSHS.
- Photograph of SW corner of Methodist Deaconess Hospital, by Rise, #2009-03-27-013, SDSHS.
- Colorized postcard of Methodist Deaconess hospital, #2008-06-19-002, SDSHS.
St. John McNamara Hospital, Rapid City
The five-story brick hospital was built at 1014 11th. It was designed by J.H. Wheeler, an Irish immigrant from St. Paul, Minnesota, and built by Henry Carlson Construction Co. of Sioux Falls [West Boulevard Historic District, Rapid City, National Register of Historic Places nomination]. With additions, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
- Photo of newly-finished St. John McNamara Hospital, 1929, #2007-12-13-003, SDSHS.
- Photo of hospital, #2010-06-02-005, SDSHS.
Britton Hospital & Clinic
The 1928 hospital in Britton had a three-story brick building with a parapet gable roof and a projecting entrance with Tudor arches. It was possibly designed by George F. Fossum [the SD State Historic Preservation Office files indicate that he designed a Marshall County Hospital in Britton in 1929].
- 1931 photograph, Hospital, Britton, #2018-06-11-307, SDSHS.
Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital, Sioux Falls
The buildings at the VA hospital in Sioux Falls started with the 1929 Catholic college, which was bought by the federal government and expanded with the 1946-1949 hospital building designed by Harold Spitznagel and built by Henry Carlson Co. (Sioux Falls) and Lovering Construction Co. (St. Paul). The hospital complex has had major additions over the years.
- Color postcard of the hospital with 1920s former college, 1940s main building, power plant and watertower in the background, #2014-12-16-320, SDSHS. And #LL02.26.35.10, East Carolina University Digital Collections.
- View of the 1940s building before any additions, 1981, #2012-02-14-341, SDSHS.
- Documentation from the Historic American Building Survey, Library of Congress.
- VA Hospital with first addition on the east facade, #2012-03-09-340, SDSHS.
Community Hospital, Gregory
In 1950, a hospital was built at 400 Park Avenue in Gregory that was designed in a Modern architectural style. The entrance had a flat roof, angled walls to the canopy, and windows with horizontal sash divisions.
- The old Gregory hospital c1950, #2009-08-19-015, SDSHS.
- Community Hospital entrance under construction, 1950, #2009-08-17-021, SDSHS. And completed entry, #2009-08-18-002, SDSHS.
- Wide view of completed hospital, 1950, #2009-08-18-003, SDSHS.
Community Memorial Hospital, Redfield
Watson Clinic, Brookings
The Watson Clinic was a two-story brick building with a flat roof and a simple entrance surround.
- Colorized postcard of Watson Clinic, Brookings, #2014-12-23-326, SDSHS.
Geddes Hospital
The Geddes Hospital was operated in the former Padley Hotel. The building was a three-story structure, with full-width porches across the facade–open on the first floor and enclosed on the second and third floors–and arched windows.
- Padley Hotel, Geddes Hospital, Castle Hotel, #2009-08-19-019, SDSHS.
Sanitarium / Community Valley Hospital, Chamberlain
The first Sanitarium in Chamberlain was three-stories, wood-frame with three levels of open porches on one end, and a mansard roof with dormers. The 1950 Community Valley Hospital in Chamberlain was built as a one-story brick building, with a projecting entrance that had a half porch and large multi-pane picture window.
- Postcard of Sanitarium, 300 South Byron Boulevard, Chamberlain, by J.F. Casey, #2009-07-06-033, SDSHS.
- Colorized photo postcard of the Chamberlain Sanitarium (says it’s in Madison, don’t know why…), #2009-12-10-006, SDSHS. And this color post card of porch side and lawn, #2014-12-04-301, SDSHS.
- Group portrait of patients and nurses in the sun room, #2014-12-29-312, SDSHS.
- Old sanitarium, c1950, #2009-07-06-018, SDSHS.
- Entrance of hospital under construction, c1950, #2009-07-06-010, SDSHS.
- View of completed hospital, 1950, #2009-07-06-016, SDSHS.
Bennett-Clarkson Memorial Hospital, Rapid City
The three-story brick building had a concrete base, bands of windows, and a central projection with narrow brick pilasters. It was built in 1954 [state survey records].
- Bennett-Clarkson Memorial Hospital under construction, 915 Mountain View Road, Rapid City, #2007-12-17-024, SDSHS.
Hospital / Brookings Municipal Hospital, Brookings
And though the State Archives didn’t have historic images of the hospital in Brookings, there were images of it in the Digital Library collection from the state universities.
- “Old Hospital,” 1964, 907 10th Street, #NA01-02-00171, South Dakota State University Library Archives and Special Collections.
- Hospital, Brookings, #NA01-02-00168, South Dakota State University Library Archives and Special Collections.
- New hospital, 1964, 300 22nd Avenue, #NA01-02-00172, South Dakota State University Library Archives and Special Collections.
- Bird’s eye view of the new hospital, #NA01-02-01370-A, South Dakota State University Library Archives and Special Collections. And from another angle, 1980, #NA01-02-00799-A.
Other links of interest:
There are a lot of interesting facts from 125 Years of Health in South Dakota – Milestones [Doneen Hollingsworth, SD Department of Health, 2014]–the site also has a lot of interesting photographs from the State Historical Society and the University of South Dakota archives, and a page for histories of prominent individuals.
Evelyn Peterson DNSc, RN, History of the South Dakota Nurses Association, sdnursesassociation.org.
Marten, James. “A Medical Entrepreneur Goes West: Father William Kroeger in South Dakota, 1893-1904.” South Dakota History 21(4) (1991), 333-361.
Includes some information on all the hospitals in Vermillion, Clay County: Evelyn H. Schlenker, The Dakota Hospital Association and the Building and Maintenance of the Dakota Hospital in Vermillion, SD. 2017.
History of the 1957 Douglas County Memorial Hospital in Armour.
