Clement Atkinson Memorial Hospital, hospital in Pennsylvania, United States
Clement Atkinson Memorial Hospital is a historic building in Coatesville that opened in 1936 as a medical facility. The structure grew from a two-and-a-half-story red brick home in Colonial Revival style to which an eight-room hospital wing was added, with further expansions in 1937, 1955, 1962, and 1969.
The hospital was founded in 1936 after Dr. Atkinson was turned away from the local city hospital due to his race. The facility expanded from five to sixty beds and served local families without other options for more than four decades before closing in 1978.
The hospital was founded in 1936 by Dr. Whittier C. Atkinson, a physician who served the African American community and named the building after his father. The location held deep meaning for local residents who faced barriers when seeking care elsewhere.
The building is easily located on East Chestnut Street in Coatesville and occupies less than an acre of land. Visitors can view the Colonial Revival details from the exterior and appreciate the early twentieth-century craftsmanship while remembering the site now functions as a community center.
Rather than sitting abandoned, the hospital was converted in 1991 into a community center that continues to operate today. The center runs housing for homeless men, health programs, and other support services, keeping Dr. Atkinson's work of helping others alive.
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