Chimborazo Medical Museum

Chimborazo Hospital, (Confederate) Richmond, Va. May 1865.

Chimborazo Visitor Center:Medical Museum on the site of the Chimborazo General Hospital,
Richmond, Va. April 2016.

Chimborazo General Hospital Marker of Chimborazo Hill,  Richmond, Va. April 2016.

Site Name: Chimborazo General Hospital (Chimborazo Medical Museum)

Date of Construction: Constructed after the outbreak of war; first opened on October 17, 1861

Reason for Construction: Built to aid and serve Confederate soldiers who fell ill or were wounded

Site History: Chimborazo General Hospital was constructed directly after the outbreak of the Civil War. Volunteer soldiers from around the Confederacy moved to Richmond for organization and drill. Large regiments camped on the Chimborazo Hill. They built wooden barracks for shelter. These wooden structures were abandoned when the men went to the front lines in northern Virginia. The Surgeon General of the Confederate States of America, Dr. Samuel P. Moore, used these building for his department. This hospital cover 40 acres, the largest hospital during the war. It consisted of about 120 buildings in all. The normal occupancy was about 3,000. The medical buildings were divided into five divisions. The divisions were originally designated  for Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. The names varied over different time period. Approximately 75,000 patients were treated over 3 and a half years. More soldiers were struck with disease than with bullets. Poor sanitation, diseases, and malpractice caused death. Medicine use also led to addiction. Soldiers with the most life threatening wounds were treated first. The exact number of death is unknown, though it is estimated around 5,000 to 7,000 died. Almost all of the men who died were buried in Oakwood Cemetery, one mile away from the hospital. When the war ended so did the use of the buildings.

Area History: The hospital was named after the hill on which it was built, Chimborazo Hill. Chimborazo Hill was named after an inactive volcano in Ecuador. The volcano is about 21,000 ft high. As stated above, the hospital was not deliberately built on the hill. Volunteer soldiers built shelters and abandoned the them. The buildings were like new when Moore found them.

What about the site has changed? The buildings are no longer on the site. Most of the site is used as a park. One portion is used for the Chimborazo Medical Museum that is open to the public. The site is kept neat by the City of Richmond. The original hospital consisted of building arranged neatly in rows with close proximity. Most pictures of the hospital were taken from an aerial view.

What about the surrounding area has changed? The Chimborazo area has been transformed into a residential community full of parks, stores, a school, retirement house, and houses. The reconstruction period lasted from 1865 to 1917. The remains of nearly 5.700 Union soldiers were moved to the National Cemetery on Williamsburg Rd. The site was turned over to the Freedmen’s Bureau to house Blacks in the community. By 1866, the hill became a permanent black settlement. Commercial development began around 1900. This brought the stores, houses, and schools. African American Church Societies were the heart of these operations. The surrounding area is now strictly residential. The Chimborazo Visitor Center is surrounded by occupied houses. During elementary school, we actually had a field day a few feet behind the visitor center. The site has been turned into an area of sightseeing with very little focus on its historical significance.

Reflection: I attended school in the Chimborazo area. Like much of Richmond, this site is overlooked. I enjoyed seeing how the area was used and how it changed. I also enjoyed the presentation we received in class. It is amazing how much technology has grown. The top surgeon of this hospital worked at what is now VCU Medical Center.

Sources:

“Chimborazo.”National Park service. Last Modified February 16,2016. Accessed March

     15,2016. http://ww.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/chimborazo.htm.

Ruth, Dave. “Chimborazo Hospital.” Encyclopedia Virginia. Last Modified January 21, 2010.

    Accessed March 15,2016.

   http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Chimborazo_Hospital#start_entry

Waitt, Robert W. “General Hospital Encampments; Confederate Military Hospitals in
    Richmond.” N.p.: Richmond Civil War Centennial Committee, 1920. Accessed March 15,  

    2016. http://dig.library.vcu.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/cmh/id/44/rec/8

M., John. "The Oakwood-Chimborazo Historic District." Church Hill People's News.

    Last modified August 19, 2009. Accessed April 3, 2016. http://chpn.net/news/

    2009/08/19/a-history-of-oakwood-chimborazo_8204/#top.  

Authors: Mytia Edwards