Rosebud County Deaconess Hospital

Introduction

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Built in 1921, the former Rosebud County Deaconess Hospital was the first hospital erected in the county and is the original building of what is now the Rosebud Health Care Center. The hospital was built in the aftermath of the 1918 Flu Pandemic, which killed around 5,000 people in Montana. As its name indicates, it was originally operated by a Methodist women's organization called the Order of the Deaconesses. In terms of architecture, the building is a simple example of the Georgian Revival style, featuring a symmetrical design, a classical entrance with columns, and stone medallions between first and second-floor windows. The hospital is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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The Rosebud County Deaconess Hospital building was constructed in 1921. It was the county's first hospital.

Backstory and Context

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The 1918 Flu Pandemic, which is also known as the Spanish Flu, was devastating. Between 1918-1920, a strain of the influenza virus killed tens of millions of people around the world. In Montana, around 5,000 people died. The pandemic demonstrated to the residents of Rosebud County how much they needed a hospital. At the time, the nearest hospital was 40 miles away in the town of Miles and getting there was a day's journey over the rugged terrain. As a result, another building, the Masonic Hall, was used as a temporary hospital during the pandemic.

Not only were the county and Forsyth fighting the pandemic, they were also dealing with drought and low crop prices. Nevertheless, county residents voted in favor of two bond issues (one in 1919 and the other in 1920) to pay for the hospital's construction. When it opened, the hospital had 32 rooms including a kitchen, operating room, and patient rooms. On April 22, 1921, around a 1,000 people attended the hospital's open house. The hospital admitted its first patient on April 25th. A nursing home was built next to the hospital in 1957. Other additions were built in the coming years including a long-term care facility in 1975.

Sources

Burns, Jim. "Rosebud County Deaconess Hospital." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 16, 1979. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/79001425_text.

"History." Rosebud Health Care Center. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://www.rosebudhcc.org/history.

The Montana National Register Sign Program. “Rosebud County Deaconess Hospital.” Montana Historical Society - Digital Vault. Accessed July 16, 2020, http://digitalvault.mhs.mt.gov/items/show/21010.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Rosebud Health Care Center