If hospitals could talk, the oldest hospitals in America would have stories that could make Netflix cancel your favorite true-crime show in embarrassment. Imagine doctors in powdered wigs arguing over whether bloodletting or leeches were the latest medical breakthrough, while just down the hall, a patient prayed they’d survive yellow fever or the occasional Revolutionary War musket mishap.
These weren’t just buildings; they were the original startup incubators for medicine, long before Instagram existed to track your kale smoothies. From the brick-and-mortar almshouses of New York to the stately halls of Philadelphia, the oldest hospitals in America didn’t just treat disease; they wrote the blueprint for every modern ER, surgical theater, and psychiatric ward that followed. And while they may not have had Wi-Fi, they maybe, had something far more valuable. They may have had grit, even vision, but for sure, the audacity to turn caring for the sick into a national institution.
The Foundations of American Healthcare
Before the oldest hospitals in America established their wards, healthcare was largely a domestic affair. In the early 18th century, the sick were cared for at home. The few “hospitals” that existed were often indistinguishable from almshouses or poorhouses—institutions designed more for social isolation of the destitute than for medical treatment.
However, as colonial cities like New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans swelled, the need for centralized medical care became undeniable. The transition from “custodial care” (housing the sick) to “curative medicine” (treating the sick) marks the true beginning of the American hospital system. The institutions listed below were the pioneers of this shift, setting standards for hygiene, surgery, and mental health care that continue to influence modern practice.
Top 10 Oldest Hospitals in America: A Definitive Ranking
We have curated this list based on original founding dates, including those that began as almshouses with medical wards, a common trajectory for colonial hospitals.
1. Bellevue Hospital Center
- Location: New York City, New York
- Founding Year: 1736
- Founder/Institution: City of New York (Almshouse expansion)
- Unique Contributions: First maternity ward in the U.S. (1799); first ambulance service (1869).
- Current Status: Flagship of NYC Health and Hospitals; Level 1 Trauma Center.
Bellevue is widely recognized as the patriarch of the oldest hospitals in America. Its origins trace back to a six-bed infirmary on the second floor of a New York City almshouse in 1736. Unlike private institutions that served the wealthy, Bellevue was born from a public mandate to care for the “poor, aged, and insane.” It has remained true to this mission for nearly three centuries. It was here that doctors first declared tuberculosis a preventable disease and opened the nation’s first clinic for heart failure. Today, it remains a safety net for New York’s most vulnerable, proving that longevity in healthcare requires adaptability.
2. Charity Hospital (University Medical Center)
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Founding Year: 1736 (May)
- Founder/Institution: Jean Louis (French shipbuilder)
- Unique Contributions: Served the indigent population of New Orleans for nearly 300 years; a pioneer in trauma care.
- Current Status: Original building closed post-Hurricane Katrina (2005); succeeded by University Medical Center New Orleans.
Founded just months after Bellevue, Charity Hospital holds a sacred place in Southern history. Funded by the deathbed bequest of Jean Louis, it was established to care for the poor of colonial Louisiana. “Big Charity,” as it became affectionately known, was a training ground for generations of surgeons who handled unrivaled volumes of trauma cases. While the iconic Art Deco building has remained shuttered since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, its spirit and staff transitioned to the modern University Medical Center, ensuring the legacy of one of the oldest hospitals in America survives.
3. Pennsylvania Hospital
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Founding Year: 1751
- Founder/Institution: Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond
- Unique Contributions: First chartered hospital in the nation; home to the first surgical amphitheater (1804).
- Current Status: Part of the Penn Medicine system; National Historic Landmark.
While Bellevue and Charity began as almshouses, Pennsylvania Hospital claims the title of the first institution established solely to treat the sick. Dr. Thomas Bond convinced Benjamin Franklin that Philadelphia needed a hospital, and Franklin used his political genius to secure a charter and matching funds from the Pennsylvania Assembly. The hospital’s seal, featuring the Good Samaritan, reflects its founding ethos: “Take Care of Him and I will Repay Thee.” It pioneered humane treatment for the mentally ill long before psychiatry was a recognized field.
4. New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Location: New York City, New York
- Founding Year: 1771
- Founder/Institution: King George III (Royal Charter)
- Unique Contributions: First hospital in NY to use the Pap test for cancer screening; early leader in burn care.
- Current Status: One of the top-ranked academic medical centers globally.
Originally chartered as “The Society of the Hospital in the City of New York,” this institution is the second oldest in New York City. Its history is entwined with the American Revolution; early classes for medical students were notably interrupted by the war. Today, as New York-Presbyterian, it represents a massive consolidation of historic institutions, but its roots as one of the oldest hospitals in America remain visible in its commitment to academic medicine and elite patient care.
5. Eastern State Hospital
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Founding Year: 1773
- Founder/Institution: Francis Fauquier (Royal Governor)
- Unique Contributions: The first public facility in the U.S. constructed solely for the care of the mentally ill.
- Current Status: Active psychiatric hospital operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Eastern State Hospital holds a unique distinction among the oldest hospitals in America. While others were general infirmaries that eventually added psychiatric wards, Eastern State was dedicated to mental health from day one. Established by the Virginia General Assembly, it aimed to move the treatment of the “insane” away from jails and into a therapeutic setting, though early “treatments” were primitive by modern standards. Its survival for over 250 years highlights the evolving understanding of mental health in American society.
6. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Founding Year: 1773
- Founder/Institution: Baltimore County (as an almshouse)
- Unique Contributions: Vital role in geriatric medicine and burn treatment; evolved from a rural almshouse to a research giant.
- Current Status: Major teaching hospital within the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Often overshadowed by its famous sister institution (The Johns Hopkins Hospital, founded in 1889), Bayview actually traces its lineage back over a century earlier. Founded in 1773 as the “Baltimore County and Town Almshouse,” it has stood on its current site since 1866. It serves as a prime example of how the oldest hospitals in America often began as social welfare institutions before professionalizing into medical powerhouses.
7. Spring Grove Hospital Center
- Location: Catonsville, Maryland
- Founding Year: 1797
- Founder/Institution: Captain Jeremiah Yellott and the Maryland General Assembly
- Unique Contributions: Second-oldest psychiatric hospital in the U.S.; early advocate for the “moral treatment” of patients.
- Current Status: Active psychiatric facility (though facing land transfer to UMBC).
Spring Grove’s history began in 1794 as a retreat for sailors, but it was formally authorized as a hospital in 1797 to combat yellow fever and care for the “lunatics” of Baltimore. It stands alongside Eastern State as a pioneer in American psychiatry. Its longevity underscores Maryland’s critical role in the early development of organized healthcare infrastructure.
8. Candler Hospital
- Location: Savannah, Georgia
- Founding Year: 1804
- Founder/Institution: Georgia Legislature (Chartered as Seamen’s Hospital)
- Unique Contributions: Georgia’s first hospital; claims to be the second-oldest continuously operating hospital.
- Current Status: Part of the St. Joseph’s/Candler health system.
Candler Hospital began as a facility for sick seamen, a common necessity in bustling port cities like Savannah. It is recognized as the oldest hospital in Georgia. The institution has survived the Civil War (where it treated Union soldiers) and yellow fever epidemics to become a modern leader in oncology and outpatient services. Its ability to remain operational without closure for over two centuries makes it a standout among the oldest hospitals in America.
9. Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General)
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Founding Year: 1811
- Founder/Institution: Drs. James Jackson and John Collins Warren
- Unique Contributions: Site of the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia (1846); Harvard Medical School’s first teaching hospital.
- Current Status: Consistently ranked among the top 5 hospitals in the U.S.
Mass General is perhaps the most prestigious name on this timeline. Chartered in 1811, it was the third general hospital in the United States (after Penn and NY Hospital). It is famously the site of the “Ether Dome,” where painless surgery was introduced to the world, fundamentally changing medicine forever. Unlike some early hospitals that focused on custodial care, MGH was explicitly founded as a teaching and research institution, setting the template for the modern academic medical center.
10. Friends Hospital
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Founding Year: 1813
- Founder/Institution: The Quakers (Society of Friends)
- Unique Contributions: First private psychiatric hospital in the U.S.; pioneered “moral treatment” focusing on kindness rather than restraint.
- Current Status: Active private psychiatric hospital.
Rounding out our list of the oldest hospitals in America is Friends Hospital. Inspired by the humane treatment movements in England, the Quakers founded this institution to provide dignity to the mentally ill. They rejected the chains and corporal punishment common in that era, instead using gardening, fresh air, and compassion as therapy. Their campus remains a National Historic Landmark, and their greenhouse is the oldest of its kind in the country, symbolizing their commitment to growth and healing.
Read Next:
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Regional Highlights
When analyzing the geography of these early institutions, a clear pattern emerges. The oldest hospitals in America are concentrated in the historic port cities of the East Coast and the South.
- The Northeast (Philadelphia, NYC, Boston): This region was the intellectual hub of early American medicine. Philadelphia, home to both Pennsylvania Hospital and Friends Hospital, was arguably the medical capital of the colonies, driven by the Enlightenment ideals of figures like Franklin.
- The South (New Orleans, Williamsburg, Savannah): Southern institutions like Charity Hospital and Eastern State were often born out of desperate necessity—to control epidemics in tropical climates or to manage social order.
- The Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore): Maryland’s early establishment of both Bayview and Spring Grove highlights the state’s forward-thinking approach to public health and psychiatry.
Timeline of the Oldest Hospitals in America
To visualize the evolution of American healthcare, consider this chronological progression of the institutions discussed:
- 1736: Bellevue Hospital (NYC) – Public General
- 1736: Charity Hospital (New Orleans) – Public General
- 1751: Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia) – Chartered General
- 1771: New York Hospital (NYC) – Royal Charter
- 1773: Eastern State Hospital (Virginia) – Psychiatric
- 1773: Johns Hopkins Bayview (Baltimore) – Almshouse/General
- 1797: Spring Grove Hospital (Maryland) – Psychiatric
- 1804: Candler Hospital (Georgia) – Seamen/General
- 1811: Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) – Academic/General
- 1813: Friends Hospital (Philadelphia) – Private Psychiatric
Conclusion
Three hundred years later, these hospitals are still standing, proof that good medicine ages like fine wine (or maybe like a really stubborn sourdough starter). The oldest hospitals in America have survived revolutions, epidemics, hurricanes, and the occasional bureaucratic headache, all while evolving into centers of cutting-edge science and patient care.
They remind us that healthcare isn’t just about gadgets, algorithms, or fancy degrees; it’s about persistence, empathy, and sometimes just stubbornly refusing to let the human spirit die. So next time you walk past a gleaming hospital tower, remember: its ancestors were scrappy, messy, and brilliant, and without them, modern medicine wouldn’t just be less advanced, it wouldn’t exist at all.
