Old Marine Hospital, hospital in South Carolina, United States
The Old Marine Hospital is a two-story brick building in downtown Charleston, designed by architect Robert Mills in the Gothic Revival style during the 1830s. It features a two-level porch across its front, pointed-arch windows, decorative columns, and a large fan-shaped window above the centered main entrance, with a raised basement articulated by arches.
The building was completed in 1834 and originally served to care for sailors arriving in Charleston. After the Civil War, it underwent several changes in use: first as a school for Black children run by the Episcopal Church, then as the Jenkins Orphanage from 1895 to 1939, where a famous band raised funds, before eventually becoming office space for city administration.
The building shows how its purpose shifted over time, from serving sailors to housing a school for Black children after the Civil War, then becoming the Jenkins Orphanage where a famous band raised funds for the community. Walking past it today, you can sense these layers of service woven into its physical structure.
The building is located on Franklin Street near the Old Charleston Jail and other historic sites in the downtown area. The best time to explore is during regular daylight hours when you can clearly see the Gothic details and architecture from the street.
Robert Mills, the architect who designed this building, also created the Washington Monument and established a blueprint for similar marine hospitals built across the United States. Of approximately 30 such hospitals constructed before the Civil War, only eight survive today, making this one particularly rare.
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