{"id":795686,"date":"2026-05-14T11:20:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/795686\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:20:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:20:19","slug":"philly-is-home-to-the-first-hospital-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/795686\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly is home to the first hospital in America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania Hospital has a long history of helping \u2013 275 years of it to be exact.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The hospital was founded<\/a> in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond \u2013 who intended to help others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the hospital was started, it was to care for the sick, poor and the mentally ill who were in the area,\u201d said Stacy Peeples, the curator and lead archivist at the Pennsylvania Hospital.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat precedent of caring for people and being an advocate for the underserved is something that is very important not only to Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Medicine, but I think really to Philadelphia as a location.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

And this wasn\u2019t the only first for the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only are we the first chartered hospital, but we also have the first medical resident, we have the first medical library, and we have the first surgical amphitheater,\u201d Peeples said. \u201cSo all of those things sort of advanced medicine and medical knowledge over all of these years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The hospital is the focus of this week\u2019s \u201cFirstival,\u201d part of a larger group of celebrations of Philadelphia \u201cfirsts\u201d ahead of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Derrick Ross was the artist behind this week\u2019s firstival sculpture. He said he was inspired by the backstory of the hospital \u2013 and by his own favorite medical dramas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one side [of the statue], I have the amphitheater,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of Grey\u2019s Anatomy, so I used to watch Dr. Shepherd in the amphitheater, and Meredith Grey watching him and her being taught how to be a doctor and a physician from the amphitheater. That really motivated me to do that on the side, as well as some medical tools that we still use to this day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Derrick Ross (left) and Curator and Lead Archivist at the Pennsylvania Hospital Stacy Peeples (right) stand in front of this week\u2019s firstival statue (Violet Comber-Wilen\/Billy Penn) <\/p>\n

Ross also added elements that corresponded with the hospital building \u2013 including the top of the Pine Building (where the Pennsylvania Hospital was initially stationed).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patients were treated for mental illness and physical ailments in the hospital until 1971, when care was transferred<\/a> to the larger, modern Pennsylvania Hospital building that is recognized today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The historic Pine Building, where the original hospital was stationed, is now home to the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Peeples said visitors to the museum will get a look into the first surgical amphitheater and the historic library, among other features.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to be in what was the old steward\u2019s office,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are also going to be in the old apothecary. So that room, which had been a conference room, is sort of being recreated back to its original beauty as an apothecary. And people will be able to come around to offices that have been used by managers and by the nursing staff early on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can also find documents, archives and artifacts that represent the history of the hospital throughout the museum.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The museum is now open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, you can visit their website.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

For a more detailed look into this Philly first, check out a preview of the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

And here is your full guide to all of this year\u2019s firstivals \u2013 including where you can find this upcoming Saturday\u2019s Firstival dates and location.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Completed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Week 1: \u00a0Successful balloon flight in America (1793)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation\u2019s first folk parade (1901)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America<\/a> (1984)<\/p>\n

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America<\/a> (1688)<\/p>\n

Week 10: Flower Show<\/a> (1829)<\/p>\n

Week 11: Women\u2019s medical college<\/a> (1850)<\/p>\n

Week 12: Matchbook<\/a> (1892)<\/p>\n

Week 13: Medical school <\/a>(1765)<\/p>\n

Week 14: Stadium <\/a>(1895)<\/p>\n

Week 15: Circus performance <\/a>(1793)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 16: Botanical garden<\/a> (1728)<\/p>\n

Week 17: Postmaster<\/a> (1737)<\/p>\n

Week 18: American-made piano and sousaphone <\/a>(1775 and 1893)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 19: Mother\u2019s Day<\/a> (1908)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Upcoming<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Hospital in America (1751)<\/strong>
<\/strong>May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 World\u2019s Fair on American soil (1876)<\/strong>
<\/strong>May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic<\/p>\n

\u2022 Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)<\/strong>
<\/strong>May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 American flag (1777)<\/strong>
<\/strong>June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Army (1775)<\/strong>
<\/strong>June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)<\/strong>
<\/strong>June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Paper maker in America (1690)<\/strong>
<\/strong>June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Bank of the United States (1791)<\/strong>
<\/strong>July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Organized baseball team (1831)<\/strong>
<\/strong>July 11 (location TBD)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)<\/strong>
<\/strong>July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 American art school (1805)<\/strong>
<\/strong>July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Zoo in America (1874)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Mint (1793)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Aug. 15 (location TBD)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Selfie (1839)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Slinky (1943)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Signing of the Constitution (1787)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Continental Congress (1774)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Sept. 12 at Carpenters\u2019 Hall, 320 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Naming of the United States (1776)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Sept. 19, Independence Hall<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ronald McDonald House (1974)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Penitentiary in America (1829)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The First Peoples<\/strong>
<\/strong>Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public showing of a motion picture (1870)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Modern detective story written (1841)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 University in America (1740)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Children\u2019s hospital in America (1855)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Nov. 21, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Weather bureau (1870)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Electronic computer (1945)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public lending library in America (1731)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)<\/strong>
<\/strong>Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today. \u2014 Pennsylvania…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":795687,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,25417,407,210,472,1448,2830,285273,1311,80,34086,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-795686","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-america-250","10":"tag-education","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-history","13":"tag-pa","14":"tag-pennsylvania","15":"tag-pennsylvania-hospital","16":"tag-philadelphia","17":"tag-politics","18":"tag-semiquincentennial","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-united-states-of-america","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=795686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/795687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=795686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=795686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=795686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}