Children's Hospital, 1924

Hospitals for children began to appear in the United States in the late 1800s. Members of the King’s Daughters of St. Paul Episcopal Church initiated the movement to secure a children’s hospital in Columbus in 1891.

The first Children’s Hospital building opened February 1, 1891. The prevailing color scheme was blue and white, carried out in staff uniforms, chinaware, linens, bedding, etc. Originally Children’s Hospital included four beds. Six more were added almost immediately. The hospital was open to patients between the ages of one and sixteen; no patient could stay longer than three months; and no cases of infectious disease were accepted.

Eventually, the hospital outgrew its original building and moved to new facilities in 1924 at 17th and Stone Streets, fronting Livingston Park. The hospital still exists although as a much larger facility and is now Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It is home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine.