Swimming Point in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Portsmouth Naval Hospital
Hospital Renovation 1907-1910
Fort Nelson Park
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015
1. Portsmouth Naval Hospital Marker
Inscription.
Portsmouth Naval Hospital. Hospital Renovation 1907-1910. By 1900, time and use had taken its toll on the hospital building. In October 1907, the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ordered hospital personnel to remove patients to tent-covered wooden platforms constructed several hundred yards away from the building. Patient care took place in these tents for nearly a year and a half while the hospital was renovated. During this period, two new wings and the Jeffersonian dome were added. The hospital reopened in February 1909. From 1910 to 1940, surgeries were performed under the dome by skylight. The dome is now a Hampton Roads landmark for locals and mariners who travel the Inland Waterway.
By 1900, time and use had taken its toll on the hospital building. In October 1907, the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ordered hospital personnel to remove patients to tent-covered wooden platforms constructed several hundred yards away from the building. Patient care took place in these tents for nearly a year and a half while the hospital was renovated. During this period, two new wings and the Jeffersonian dome were added. The hospital reopened in February 1909. From 1910 to 1940, surgeries were performed under the dome by skylight. The dome is now a Hampton Roads landmark for locals and mariners who travel the Inland Waterway.
Erected by Path of History, Portsmouth, Va.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Science & Medicine. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1909.
Location. 36° 50.502′ N, 76° 18.331′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Swimming Point. It can be reached from the intersection of Effingham Street and Crawford Parkway, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Portsmouth Naval Hospital (a few steps from this marker); a different marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 528 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
