On This Site

On This Site. . , In 1868 a building of octagonal shape, designed to admit maximum light, was erected here to succeed the original amphitheater in the Pine Building. Formally opened in 1869, the new structure provided additional seating for the record numbers of medical students and physicians who came to the Hospital to observe surgery and attend lectures. It also housed, on the wall near the operating table, the Benjamin West painting of Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple. The painting had been donated to the Hospital by the artist in 1817., The Octagonal Building was replaced by the Chapel Building in 1901, housing administrative offices, the West painting, and an auditorium used as a chapel and meeting room. It was later renamed the Elm Building in recognition of the great Elm tree growing beside it. This tree had been planted in 1841 as a cutting from a direct descendant of the William Penn Treaty Elm., The structure which now replaces the Elm Building is the Gallery Pavilion completed in 1983. It provides the West painting once again with its own "Picture House" and serves as a unique link between the Hospital's historical buildings and modern facilities. The public is invited to view the painting and related historical exhibits.