CAMBRIDGE, MD. - About two years ago, the old Dorchester General Hospital in Cambridge was torn down. Before the demolition in September 2022, artwork and plaques from inside the hospital were put into storage. Those who remember walking the halls might recognize the portraits, plaques, or even the original chapel pews that have now found a new home at the Dorchester County Historical Society.
"Some of the pieces have unique ties to Dorchester. For example, the portraits, we have some of the early doctors and early benefactors of the hospital. And for the church pews, they were actually made of black walnut here in Dorchester, so they were made by local people," said Zoe Phillips, Executive Director of the Dorchester County Historical Society.
Phillips mentioned that before the hospital was demolished, a group associated with the hospital requested that the Historical Society become the custodian of some of the pieces. Those items arrived at the Society this week.
"Well, I think many people were worried that as the hospital was torn down, many pieces of its history would be lost. And now we're providing a space where people can actually eventually visit them in person and reconnect with some of the pieces they remember seeing or being around," said Phillips.
Many local residents, like Alice Johnson, have family ties to the hospital and plan to visit the Society.
"I was born there in 1958, my son was, I had a lot of family and relatives that were born there. I was sorry to see it be torn down, to be honest with you," said Johnson. She added, "I would love to go and just to see it, ya know. I'm glad to see it wasn't just tossed to the side like trash."
The Dorchester County Historical Society hopes to acquire more pieces in the coming weeks and plans to create a "Dorchester General Hospital" corner to showcase the hospital's legacy.
