list of u.s. marine hospitals list of u.s. marine hospitals this is a list of u.s. marine hospitals and public health service hospitals that operated during the system's existence from 1798 to 1981. the primary beneficiary of the hospitals were civilian mariners known as the merchant marine, although they had other beneficiaries at various times; the system was unrelated to the u.s. marine corps. the marine hospital fund was founded in 1798; it was reorganized into the marine hospital service in 1871 and renamed the u.s. public health service in 1912. the hospital system became part of the public health service's bureau of medical services when it was created in 1943. the number of major hospitals peaked at thirty in 1943, and declined to nine in 1970. the system was abolished in 1981. many of the hospitals were transferred to other organizations and are still in use as a variety of purposes, including as hospitals, offices, apartments, and historical sites. history locations of marine hospitals opened prior to 1872. the hospitals still operating in 1872 are marked in blue. locations of major phs hospitals in 1936. the cities that retained phs hospitals after 1953 are marked in yellow, and those that retained them after 1970 are marked in blue. the marine hospital fund was founded in 1798. although the system was funded and largely operated by the federal government, they were locally managed with little centralized oversight, and with many positions filled through political patronage. in 1871, it was reorganized into a centralized administration, the marine hospital service, led by the surgeon general and staffed by a commissioned corps of officers. as of 1873, 31 marine hospitals had been built by the government, of which 10 remained in operation: chelsea, chicago, cleveland, detroit, louisville, mobile, pittsburgh, portland, st. louis, and key west. of the rest, fourteen were sold, one was transferred to the war department, one abandoned, one burned, one destroyed by a flood, one by a hurricane, one was damaged by an earthquake and abandoned; one remained unfinished due to its completion being impracticable. over the late nineteenth century, the marine hospital service was given authority over domestic and foreign quarantine functions, and expanded into other public health activities. in 1899 it formed internal divisions for the first time, with the division of hospitals administering the hospital system. the marine hospital service changed its name to the public health service (phs) in 1912. at the end of world war i, phs instituted a numbering system for hospitals, with numbers 1–23 assigned alphabetically to major marine hospitals that were operating or recently closed, with higher numbers going to a large number of new public health service hospitals at facilities transferred from the u.s. army. many of these new hospitals were transferred in 1922 to the newly created veterans bureau, which assumed responsibility for veterans' health benefits from the phs. beginning in the late 1920s and continuing through the new deal era, a significant building campaign upgraded several hospitals into large, monumental buildings, in contrast with the smaller buildings common for the 19th-century buildings. by 1936, hospitals were divided into first-class marine hospitals, plus second- through fourth-class hospitals. in 1943, phs collected its divisions into three operating agencies, and the division of hospitals became part of the bureau of medical services. that year, the hospital system had reached its peak of 30 hospitals. in 1951, all hospitals were redesignated public health service hospitals. as of 1957, the division of hospitals operated 13 hospitals, 24 outpatient clinics, plus two neuropsychiatric hospitals and the national leprosarium, and contracted with 155 other locations. in 1965, there were 12 general hospitals and the 3 special hospitals. during the phs reorganizations of 1966–1973, the bureau of medical services was broken up, and the division of hospitals became the federal health programs service, and then in 1973 became a different bureau of medical services within the health services administration. the system came under pressure for closure starting in the late 1970s, as healthcare needs for sailors were dwindling, and healthcare for veterans was being taken over by the veterans administration. the phs hospital system was finally abolished during the reagan administration in 1981, with the last eight general hospitals transferred to other organizations. the federal government would however continue to operate the national leprosarium until 1999. list the start year indicates when the hospital opened or was acquired by mhs/phs. the end year indicates when the hospital was closed, converted to a clinic, or transferred to another organization. this list emphasizes hospitals considered major at some point in the system's history; there were also very many hospitals of lower statuses. photo location start end notes refs east coast portland, maine 1859 1952 converted to clinic; nrhp-listed. see united states marine hospital (portland, maine). boston, massachusetts/chelsea, massachusetts 1800 1804 the first marine hospital established; temporary location in rebuilt barracks at castle island 1804 1825 at charlestown navy yard; transferred to the navy and demolished 1825 1827 temporary rented facility in charlestown 1827 1857 in chelsea; after being sold, it was used as the hawthorne school and then burned in the 1908 chelsea fire. 1857 1940 built near chelsea naval hospital; still in existence as apartments 1940 1981 in brighton; now a private hospital facility vineyard haven, massachusetts 1879 1952 now martha's vineyard museum newport, rhode island ca. 1802 may have been temporary stapleton, staten island, new york 1831 1981 notable for the 1858 staten island quarantine war at a satellite location, and being the birthplace of the national institutes of health in 1887 1930s 1981 became bayley seton hospital neponsit, queens, new york 1945 1950 neponsit beach hospital; leased from city of new york and replaced by manhattan beach hospital manhattan beach, brooklyn, new york 1950 1960 ellis island, new york 1902 1951 see ellis island immigrant hospital cape henlopen, delaware 1894 1903 baltimore, maryland 1887 1981 1934 1981 became a private hospital, now an academic building for johns hopkins university washington, d.c. 1940 1961–1967 freedmen's hospital; previously operated by department of the interior; became howard university hospital washington, d.c. 1940 1968 see st. elizabeths hospital. opened 1855 and was operated by the u.s. army and then the department of the interior, transferred to phs in 1940, and then to the national institute of mental health in 1968; the eastern half of the campus is now operated by the district of columbia, while the western half is now the headquarters of the department of homeland security norfolk, virginia 1800 1860s built in 1787 by the state of virginia, transferred to the federal government in 1800, sold off shortly after the civil war 1922 1981 now u.s. navy lafeyette river annex portsmouth, north carolina 1847 abandoned before 1869 wilmington, north carolina 1881 1898 constructed in 1860 but taken over by the confederacy, and later became first site of wilmington city hospital; repurchased and used as marine hospital 1898 1918 converted to phs laboratory charleston, south carolina 1833 nrhp-listed. see united states marine hospital (charleston, south carolina) savannah, georgia 1906 1969 converted to clinic; currently bradley hall of savannah college of art and design san juan, puerto rico 1952 converted to clinic gulf coast key west, florida 1845 1943 converted to clinic st. marks, florida 1859 ca. 1861 museum currently exists on its site at san marcos de apalache historic state park pensacola, florida first planned in 1840s and 1850s but never built mobile, alabama 1843 1952 became class ii hospital after civil war; converted to clinic; nrhp-listed. see united states marine hospital (mobile, alabama) new orleans, louisiana 1847 1858 abandoned after floods; destroyed in 1861 explosion n/a n/a building partially constructed but never used as marine hospital; later used as insane asylum; hospital operated out of several temporary locations 1883 1933 demolished and replaced with current building on same site 1933 1981 galveston, texas/nassau bay, texas 1931 1970s 1981 nassau bay hospital opened in 1972 as a private hospital, but went bankrupt a few years later and was taken over by phs, replacing the galveston hospital; became houston methodist clear lake hospital fort worth, texas 1938 1967 narcotics hospital; now federal medical center, fort worth mississippi river carville, louisiana 1921 1999 national leprosarium; became nrhp-listed carville historic district natchez, mississippi 1852 1867 leased out after civil war; became natchez city hospital; burned down in 1984 vicksburg, mississippi 1856 1870 napoleon, arkansas 1855 ca. 1861 destroyed by flood in 1868. see napoleon marine hospital memphis, tennessee 1884 1965 nrhp-listed; now national ornamental metal museum 1937 1965 converted to clinic st. louis, missouri/kirkwood, missouri 1858 1939 larger building constructed adjacent in 1882; demolished in 1959 1939 1952 cairo, illinois 1886 1919 galena, illinois 1861 1868 later used as school and private residence burlington, iowa 1858 1865 ohio river paducah, kentucky 1852 1861 during the civil war, fort anderson was constructed around the hospital building, which burned in 1862 evansville, indiana 1856 1867 demolished around 1912 1892 1947 converted to clinic; demolished early 1980s louisville, kentucky 1852 1946 nrhp-listed. see united states marine hospital (louisville, kentucky) 1933 1946 converted to clinic cincinnati, ohio 1860 1860 became a military hospital upon completion and was never used as a marine hospital, later used by good samaritan hospital; demolished ca. 1970. see united states marine hospital (cincinnati) 1882 1905 located in former kilgour mansion, built around 1815; in 1912 it was reopened as phs stream pollution investigations station. see united states marine hospital (cincinnati) lexington, kentucky 1935 1967 narcotics hospital; now federal medical center, lexington pittsburgh, pennsylvania 1851 1875 demolished in late 1880s 1909 1949 converted to clinic, now occupied by allegheny county health department's frank b. clack health center; part of nrhp-listed lawrenceville historic district. see united states marine hospital (pittsburgh) great lakes burlington, vermont 1858 1866 never used due to lack of patients; became home for destitute children; burned down in 1893 buffalo, new york 1909 1949 converted to clinic cleveland, ohio 1852 1929 sold to pennsylvania railroad in 1929 and demolished 1929 1953 converted to clinic detroit, michigan 1857 1930 main building demolished in 1962; 1933 building on site nrhp-listed as u.s. immigration station detroit 1930 1969 converted to clinic; demolished in 1984 chicago, illinois 1852 1864 at fort dearborn; sold; burned down in 1871 great chicago fire 1873 1965 converted to clinic; demolished for disney magnet school western u.s. port townsend/port angeles, washington 1855 1858 privately built and operated 1858 1893 originally privately built and operated under contract; purchased by government in 1883; burned down 1862 1866 relocated to port angeles; destroyed by flood and restored to port townsend 1896 1933 converted to clinic; demolished in 1971 seattle, washington 1933 1981 replaced port townsend hospital; transferred to city of seattle and became pacific tower san francisco, california 1854 1868 at rincon point; damaged by the 1868 hayward earthquake and temporarily abandoned; later used as sailor's home and demolished in 1920s 1875 1932 on the presidio of san francisco 1932 1981 on the presidio of san francisco; reopened as apartments in 2010. see public health service hospital (san francisco) fort stanton, new mexico 1898 1953 tuberculosis sanatorium; created from former fort stanton; nrhp-listed lahaina, hawaii 1844 1862 knappton cove, washington 1899 1939 this station was established by assistant surgeon hill hastings on may 9, 1899, with an office in astoria, oregon, and the quarantine station across the columbia river in knappton cove, washington. the pesthouse (lazaretto) was built in 1912 at the knappton cove site. this original pesthouse is on the national register of historic places and is the only known phs facility of its kind with a museum that remains open to the public and preserves the history of this era in public health. the original, hand-written station log for the u.s. public health service’s columbia river quarantine station is housed in the collections of the columbia pacific heritage museum, 115 se lake st., ilwaco, wa 98624 the official website for the knappton cove heritage center is: https://www.knapptoncoveheritagecenter.org/