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GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL
By Miss Mary Melville
CHAPTER XXI
HOSPITALS
Thirty-nine years ago, on the 26th of June, at half past (i in the
evening, the cornerstone of Good Samaritan Hospital AVIIS laid. The idea
of founding a hospital in Sandusky originated in the mind of the Rev.
William Wilberforce Fair, at that time rector of Grace Church. His
vestry warmly supported the idea, and one of them, Mr. C. C. Keech,
gave about an acre of ground on the south end of Fulton Street, on
Lewis Street, for the location of the building.
From the outset the hospital was to be truly catholic—universal—
in its activities and benefactions. No particular religious body or civic
organization Avas to control it, but everyone was appealed to, to aid this
noble work of charity, Avhich was then though not so well understood as
it is now, an ever increasing necessity in our community. The title of
the land given Avas held in trust by Peter Gilcher and J. 0. Moss. The
personnel of the first board of managers was James Woolworth and Peter
Gilcher for three years; C. C. Keech and George J. Anderson for tAvo
years, and J. 0. Moss and Charles II. Moss for one year, Avith the rector,
W. W. Farr, chairman. This board determined upon a plan for the
hospital Avhich embraced a central building 36 by 38 feet, two stories high,
over a basement and connected Avith the two Avards on either side by a
small building 20 by 24 feet, one story in height over a basement. This
building was to contain a heating room in the basement and bath rooms
on the main floor. The Avards Avere to be in a building 32 by 100 feet Avide
Avith a commodious sitting-room 16 to 30 feet at the south end and over a
laundry of the same size in the basement. The Avards proper Avere to
be 30 by 50 feet and designed for the accommodation of sixteen patients
each. There Avas also to be tAvo rooms 14 by 16 feet for pay patients
attached to each ward, besides the rooms for the nurses. The basement
under the north end of each Avard building Avas to contain the kitchen,
store-room and cellar for the ward above. The design contemplated
separating male and female patients, having a ward for each sex. The
foundation was laid, at first, for the eastern ward.
On this evening in June nearly forty years ago, the papers of that
date tell us, the laying of the cornerstone of this hospital attracted a
large concourse of people, many from the laboring classes particularly,
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