The Public Health Museum in Tewksbury, Massachusetts Tour

This museum is located in the Old Administration1890's to the 1950's. The residence is now called
Building of Tewksbury Hospital on East Street. Itthe Annie G. McDonald House to honor Ms.
is on the first floor.McDonald, Director of Nursing at the Hospital for
Visiting hours are:o Wednesdays from 10 a.m. toover 40 years.
2 p.m. by appointment. Call 978-851-7321, ext.In this room is an aerial view of the hospital
2606 for information or to make an appointment.grounds used by the architects and planners in
The Hospital was established in 1852 as a statethe 1930's. At one time the grounds were
almshouse to care for the poor including asurrounded by a wall or the buildings were
growing number of immigrants. It became theconnected to each other as were most
Tewksbury State Hospital in 1900, theinstitutions of its kind were in the late 1800's and
Massachusetts State Infirmary in 1908 andearly 1900's. There was also a labyrinth of
Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary in 1938.underground tunnels connecting the buildings.
Today, it is known as Tewksbury Hospital.The Classroom (a brief description)
The tour of the Public Health Museum consistsThese are series of small rooms set up as
of:o The reception roomo The Superintendent'smodels for a variety of functions. One is a school
Officeo The mail roomo The garden roomo Theof nursing classroom and looks like any classroom
classroomo The hospital roomo The dental officeofrom the 1920's and 30's. On the wall hangs a
The mural roompicture of Linda Richards, who was the first
The Reception Room (a brief description)graduate nurse in the United States, and Annie
Through the front door of the AdministrationMcDonald, former Director of Nursing, done
Building you can see the expansive hallway. Theshortly before her death.
entrance to the museum is on the right. Inside theThe Hospital Room (a brief description)
office is an early 1900's roll-top desk used by theThis small room is a typical hospital room of the
Superintendent's Administrative Assistant. There1920's. The metal beds were high off the floor
are several boxes and containers on the deskand required a footstool. Patient's supplies were
from the early 1900's. The typewriter dates fromthe bare essentials. There are medical instruments
the late 1930's or early 1940's.typical of the era, and a woolen nurse's cape that
There is a switchboard in this room originally usedwas given to a student nurse as part of her
at Cushing Hospital in Framingham when it was auniform.
Veterans' Hospital. The back half of this roomThe Dental Office (a brief description)
displays historical public health figures inResembles a typical dentist's office from 1905
Massachusetts. The long display case was onceThe Mural Room (a brief description
used to hold the bones to teach anatomy toThe Mural Room completes the tour of the
medical and nursing students.Museum of Public Health. It is a spacious room
The Superintendent's Office (a brief description)that was once used for formal receptions for
The Superintendent's office has a typical circavisitors to the hospital. It was painted by artists
1894 fireplace used at that time as the main heatwho worked under the auspices of the Federal
source. A clock on the wall was programmed toArts Project program during the Depression of
ring at different times during the day andthe 1930's. The murals depict local industries and
throughout the hospital to signal opening or closingfarming endeavors. There is a large map of
times. The focus of this room is probably theMassachusetts on the wall painted in the mid-1930.
large superintendent's desk that was made atThe room is also used for special exhibits.
Lakeville Hospital in its carpentry shop. In someAmong the permanent exhibits are:o The History
institutions the patients worked in carpentry shopsof Public Health Hospitalso Pioneering Public Healtho
as a source of occupational therapy and madeHansen's Disease (aka Leprosy): A Feared
such things as chairs, picture frames, desks andInfectiono Public Health/Mental Health
bookcases. There is a Commonwealth ofIf you are interested in America's historic
Massachusetts flag in the superintendent's office.psychiatric hospitals (state hospitals, insane
It was the last flag to fly over Rutland Heightsasylums) founded mostly in the latter half of the
Hospital, the first tuberculosis hospital in the United19th century, The Public Health Museum in
States, before it closed around 1990. There is aTewksbury, Massachusetts is a good example to
panel display in the middle of the room showingvisit. The hospital itself is still in operation. A large
early 20th century pictures of Tewksbury Hospitalproportion of these historic institutions are no
and its patients. There is a collection of patientlonger psychiatric hospitals.
medicine bottles on display in this room.The Old Administration building of Tewksbury
The Mail Room (a brief description)State Hospital was constructed in 1894. It is a
The museum currently uses this room as spaceQueen Anne-style building situated at the head of
to store rare books and other small artifacts. Atthe original main entrance drive on East Street,
one time, however, the room was the mail roommarked by a circa 1900 granite and wrought iron
for the hospital and was the place wheregate. The building was designed by Boston
everyone met and exchanged information. Therearchitect John A. Fox.
is a huge fireplace in this room.Anne Sullivan was a patient in the almshouse
The Garden Room (a brief description)during the 19th century. She later became the
This is a small room with French doors that looktutor and companion of Helen Keller.
out onto the hospital grounds. The room isThe Old Administration building and the
currently used as a museum office area. It had aTewksbury Hospital campus were placed on the
variety of uses over the years such as:o OfficeNational Registry of Historic Places in January of
for the Medical Directoro A Waiting room for the1994.
Superintendent's officeSource: The Public Health Museum in Tewksbury,
Some of the furnishings in this room came fromMassachusetts Online
the superintendent's residence that is visibleThis article is FREE to publish with the resource
outside the French doors. All the hospital'sbox.
superintendents lived in the residence from the