Mary Washington Hospital

By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge #4 laid the corner stone on April 14th, 1899, for the Mary Washington Hospital. The corner stone came from the original Mary Washington monument that was started in 1833, never completed until 1894. The date of April 14th, was chosen as it was General Washington's last visit to his mother before she died in Fredericksburg at eighty-one years of age. The beginning of the hospital was formed by a group of women within the F r e d e r i c k s b u r g community There is mention of the formation of Mary Washington Hospital in both the History of Fredericksburg , by Quinn (1908) and Embrey (1937). In 1989 Dr Edward Alvey, Jr., with the aid of many members of the community wrote the book 90 Years of Caring Mary Washington Hospital 1899-11989

After much discussion the building site was chosen at the Corners of Fauquier and Sophia Streets. Mayor W S White who was a strong supporter of the hospital died suddenly at the age of 44 in 1897, the newspaper said that this gave more incentive for the hospital project. The actual building was completed at a cost of one-thousand-two-hundred dollars by E G Heflin who is known to have built many buildings within the city including the Heflin Apartments still located on Prince Edward Street. The Board of women wished that the hospital be "debt free." The hospital had a total of 8 beds on its opening and after operating for almost two years had a net profit of less than three-hundred dollars. Prior to the Civil War hospitals were non-existent. The mass casualties during the battles created a need for hospitals, church's and other building were used for "hospitals". It was an expectation that you would only enter a hospital when very ill or near death. Any medical fees were paid by the patient on a cash only basis.

The Mary Washington Hospital's need for expansion was completed in 1901 with donations from many sources. In 1903 along with being officially chartered the hospital set up a nurses school of training. The Nurse Training building was built on Fauquier Street in back of the Hospital with funds donated by the Dabney Maury Daughters of the Confederacy at Philadelphia, the building was named General Dabney Maury Memorial. Private duty nursing fee's ranged between ten and twelve dollars per week. The School of Professional Nursing closed in September 1933. It would be