The Marine Hospital
An Uncertain Future
Galena's Marine Hospital, completed in 1859, is one of Galena's most historic buildings. It has not only local and regional significance but also national significance. It represents the first effort by the U. S. federal government to take care of the needs of sailors and boatmen from 1798 onward. It was funded in part with a deduction from every employee's wages of twenty cents per month. The rest was picked up by the federal government. Given the importance and reliance of the new nation on goods and services provided by rivers, lakes and ocean commerce, few complained.
Prior to the Civil War, roughly thirty marine hospitals were constructed, most along the East Coast, but then increasingly along inland rivers and lakes. Of the latter, only the hospitals at Louisville and Galena remain. (See Appendix A) Unfortunately for the Galena hospital, it was never able to realize its full potential. A civil war, a silting up little stream, railroads, and changing trade and commercial patterns conspired against the effort. It lasted only six years, treating relatively few patients during that time.
Sadly, Galena's Marine Hospital has been on an up and down ride ever since, mostly down. It has been plagued by good but ineffective intentions from its first days right down to the present. Lack of maintenance and misdirected alterations have occurred; the worst coming in the 1950s when the cupola, or belvedere, along with the porches were removed entirely from the structure. Given the complexity of construction and coherence of design, one might as well have let an auto mechanic touch up the Mona Lisa.
The Hospital was named to Landmarks Illinois' annual Ten Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2014 (Galena Gazette, 9 April 2014). In naming the structure to its Ten Most list, the organization hoped that it would help in "finding a viable plan for its rehabilitation and reuse." After 160 years, that remains the hope. (Figure 27.)
Acknowledgements
In 2019, The Galena Foundation initiated an effort to publicize the plight of a number of historic properties in town that were in danger of disappearing. One of the results of their efforts was a report on the history and condition of the McGovern-Delihant House located at 901 Fourth Street. This report on the old Marine Hospital deals with a different type of building, one that started out as a federal property in 1859 and six years later fell into private hands. But the story has many similarities and many people helped in the compilation of this history.
In no particular order, thanks go to Karen Zehr and the Recorder's Office at the Jo Daviess County Courthouse. She made quick work of tracking down (or showing how to find) deeds and property transactions over a 160 year period. The Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society was also very helpful, and special thanks go to volunteer Kris Chapman, who helped scour their collections for information on the Marine Hospital. An even more serious mention must be made of the Historical Collections Room at the Galena Public Library. Their materials are always critical to a report such as this. They have an incredibly dedicated group of local historians: historical librarian Steve Repp helped whenever and wherever he could. Help was also received from volunteers Tim Doser, Craig Albaugh, and Dale Glick, who went out of their way to provide pertinent leads on the Hospital. Craig's efforts in collecting for the library digital copies of early Galena photographs is nothing short of remarkable. And Tim kept providing old newspaper articles--and photographs--too numerous to mention.
The City of Galena staff also offered valuable assistance, particularly Building Inspector Jonathan Miller with his building department files. And thanks also to various individuals, to numerous to mention, who helped with various leads and bits of information. And special thanks to Galena Foundation Board member Beth Baranski who helped at various points along the way, most especially with the final phase of proofing, editing and printing.
Special mention must be given to the Galena State Historic Sites Office and site manager Terry Miller and curator and interpreter Jamie Loso. They had by far the most voluminous files and photos on the Hospital and gladly gave access to them all. Their help was invaluable to the final report.
But most of all, a huge thanks to the Galena Foundation and all of its directors for believing in Galena and the value of each and every bit of its history and architecture.
Daryl Watson, Historical Researcher
Figure 27. Back of Marine Hospital looking west
-landmark building still awaiting restoration.
2017 photo by Ken Robb.