Douglas Homes in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Church Home and Hospital
“I am a Massachusetts woman”
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 11, 2020
Church Home and Hospital, formerly Washington Medical college, was where Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, and where many doctors were trained who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. On April 19, 1861, Adeline Blanchard Tyler, Episcopal Church deaconess and nursing instructor, was working here when a friend summoned her to the Holliday Street police station. The Baltimore Riot had just occurred and wounded 6th Massachusetts Infantry soldiers had been taken there. Tyler was refused entry until she said, “I am a Massachusetts woman seeking to do good to the citizens of my own state. If not allowed to do so, I must send a telegram to Governor Andrews informing him that my request has been denied.” The police then admitted her.
Tyler found two soldiers dead and four wounded. Using a covered furniture wagon so the secessionist crowd could not see the soldiers, she brought the two most seriously injured here. After surgeons treated them, Tyler tended to them herself. In a month they had recovered enough to return to Massachusetts, where the legislature passed a resolution of appreciation for her services.
Later, Tyler helped establish a hospital in the National Hotel near Camden Station but was asked to leave when she insisted that Confederate and Union wounded receive the same care. She then served at the U.S. General Hospital in Chester, Pennsylvania, and organized nurses at a hospital at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, US Civil • Women. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1930.
Location. 39° 17.595′ N, 76° 35.638′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Douglas Homes. Marker is at the intersection of North Broadway and Lamley Street, in the median on North Broadway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 123 N Broadway, Baltimore MD 21231, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Thomas Wildey Monument (here, next to this marker); Site of Poe’s Death (a few steps from this marker); José Martí (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ferdinand Clairborne Latrobe (about 500 feet away); Notre Dame Convent (approx. 0.3 miles away); The General’s Highway (approx. 0.3 miles away); Dr. Charles W. Simmons (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Baptist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
Regarding Church Home and Hospital. I've been researching Adeline Blanchard Tyler and the Church Home and Infirmary (Hospital) for quite some time, so provide this updated information: The wounded soldiers were not treated at the Ch Home, but at her residence, which was a Deaconess House on S. Exeter Street. She did supervise the Ch Home from 1858 to about 1860, training and supervising deaconesses (nurses). As you note, she also served at the Camden St Hospital, Chester (Penna) and Annapolis. The Maryland Center for History & Culture has a first hand account of thte Pratt St riots and her role, written by Alex Fulton.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 11, 2020
Credits. This page was last revised on March 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 7,966 times since then and 103 times this year. Last updated on March 14, 2023, by Daphne B Noyes of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photos: 1. submitted on December 11, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on September 10, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3. submitted on December 11, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on September 10, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.