Swimming Point in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Portsmouth Naval Hospital
Building 215, Portsmouths First Skyscraper 1960
Fort Nelson Park
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015
1. Portsmouth Naval Hospital Marker
Inscription.
Portsmouth Naval Hospital. Building 215, Portsmouths First Skyscraper 1960. Building 215 was constructed to provide a much needed modern hospital and to centralize the medical departments scattered around the base. The 500-bed hospital became the commands second primary hospital facility when commissioned in April 1960. Towering 17 stories, it was the tallest all-welded steel-framed building from New York to Miami. Along with the latest medical equipment, it had a cobbler shop, tailor shop, entertainment auditorium, Navy Exchange and modern galley. In 1973, twelve American prisoners of war from Vietnam were received on the 12th floor, where they were reunited with family and given time to recuperate.
Building 215 was constructed to provide a much needed modern hospital and to centralize the medical departments scattered around the base. The 500-bed hospital became the commands second primary hospital facility when commissioned in April 1960. Towering 17 stories, it was the tallest all-welded steel-framed building from New York to Miami. Along with the latest medical equipment, it had a cobbler shop, tailor shop, entertainment auditorium, Navy Exchange and modern galley. In 1973, twelve American prisoners of war from Vietnam were received on the 12th floor, where they were reunited with family and given time to recuperate.
Location. 36° 50.516′ N, 76° 18.318′ 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
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 761 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
