Today in Archbold History: West Wing Opens

December 21, 1958

When John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital first opened in 1925, its entrance faced Gordon Avenue. The addition of the Y-shaped West Wing in 1958 marked a new, modern era at Archbold while forever altering the hospital’s entrance and design. Archbold’s first major expansion was officially opened with an open house held on December 21, 1958, sixty-seven years ago today.

At the building’s groundbreaking ceremony, Frank V. Eidson, Ed Jerger, and Elisabeth Ireland Poe signaled a new era at Archbold when their golden shovels turned the first dirt in front of the hospital’s main entrance.

The West Wing has been described as “Y-shaped” because it connected directly to the former front entrance of the hospital with two arms extending at an angle towards Gordon Avenue. When it first opened, the West Wing was made up of three floors. The 64 new beds in the West Wing increased our community’s hospital bed count by more than fifty percent.

Improvements were made to the surgery department, delivery rooms and nursery, while the x-ray department was expanded. A cafeteria for staff and patients, along with a pharmacy, were also added during the expansion.

The original hospital building, and recent Archbold buildings, reflected the Mediterranean Revival Style that was popular in the 1920s. Archbold’s iconic terra-cotta roof tiles have become a tradition because of this original style. The West Wing was also designed in the popular style of its era—the late 1950s—and it is a far departure from the hospital’s original architectural style.

The designers sought to portray Archbold as a modern and clean healthcare environment with unembellished white walls; sweeping, uniform windows; and utilitarian metal accents. According to research by C.L. Bragg, plans for the building to be covered in metal paneling were ultimately scrapped.

Archbold continued to grow after its first major expansion was opened. Even the West Wing itself grew with the addition of a fourth and fifth story in 1976. Today, the West Wing contains many important facilities, including portions of Archbold Memorial’s new Maternity Center. The top floor is home to our Graduate Medical Education Department, overseeing our growing residency programs and medical student presence on our campus.

The West Wing’s prominent appearance on Gordon Avenue faded somewhat with the addition of the Outpatient Surgery Center in 1989. Now known as the Same Day Surgery Center, the standalone addition to the West Wing more closely mirrors the hospital’s original style.

This edition of "Today in Archbold History" is the final in a series of more than thirty Archbold history articles published by the Marketing & Public Relations Department this year. Thank you for your interest in Archbold's history and the story of community-driven, patient-focused healthcare in our region. If you are interested in learning more, you can read articles you missed at archbold.org/history. 

If you haven't already purchased a copy of A Century of Healing, Archbold's official centennial history book written by C.L. Bragg, visit archbold.org/book for more information.