Lakewood Hospital In Photos 1901-2019

[Jim O'Bryan]

“To know your future you must know your past.” George Santayana

While some focus gleefully on the destruction of Lakewood Hospital, which I suppose I understand as it represents one of the largest and darkest moments in Lakewood's history, I have been working with historians, doctors, lawyers, patients, architects, and most importantly the people who worked there, and the people who were born there, of whom I am one.


Lakewood Hospital finishing the atrium in 1981. (property of the Lakewood Observer, Inc.)

This is not the gleeful funeral of Lakewood Hospital, but a celebration of Lakewood Hospital, and what it meant to this community for 110 years. The Lakewood Observer is assembling images, artwork, film, prints, newspaper clippings, to add to our extensive collection of Lakewood Hospital documents/images acquired over the years in Lakewood for access in one large photo database about Lakewood Hospital.


Inside the finished Atrium. What happened inside the Atrium on 9/11/01 that changed the appearance of the atrium forever?
We will answer that and many more questions, and stories in and around the hospital.(property of the Lakewood Observer, Inc.)

Observers have dug back deeply into Lakewood Hospital history and lore to find one-of-a=kind items you will find nowhere else. Stories you will find nowhere else. And a celebration of love like nowhere else. Respect for what was one of Lakewood's finest accomplishments for over a century. No tears, no fears, no politics, just memories from our archive.


Aerial photo of Lakewood Hospital, November 2018. (property of the Lakewood Observer, Inc.)

If others would like to send us photos, please do. They will be archived in a special library available to all.
Email to production@lakewoodobserver.com

As Lakewood moves into the future and our next chapter, it pays to remember and honor our past accomplishments and understand how we got to where we are now and in the future.

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." Marcus Garvey

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[Betsy Voinovich]

I don't see how you can say "no tears."

I think of rocking my newborn baby, my first, on that atrium. A very sympathetic nurse had brought me there from labor and delivery and told me that all I needed to do was relax and breathe a little and remember the world was still turning and I'd be able to feed him. I remember the warmth and peace of that place. Watching the old folks doing their aerobics, smelling the coffee and blueberry muffins from the Arabica stand and.. I was able to relax, and nurse, and that place, that community literally welcomed my son into the world.

Betsy Voinovich

[Betsy Voinovich]

And for those reading this who just check in here, who haven't read the hundreds of words written about the hospital here, but just like to look around, and who might shake your heads and say, "Well, you can be sentimental about things whose time has passed, but when times up, it's up, old buildings have to go---" Etc.

The point here is that the Atrium where I was rocking my baby was still in fine shape. The hospital wasn't falling apart, it wasn't going bankrupt. If you think that, you haven't kept up.

All of that has been proven, and documented to be untrue. If you were told that, you were lied to.

You might have assumed that, because who would tear down their own hospital, if there was nothing wrong with it?

Who would be that foolish?

The hospital, our hospital, that belonged to the city of Lakewood, not Cleveland Clinic, could have gone on taking care of the next generation of new mothers like I was then, and the next and the next, for another hundred years, except for the fact that we have a city government that actively worked against its own people to get rid of its own community hospital.

That sounds crazy, doesn't it? But it's true.

If you're new in town, you should check out what happened-- how it happened, and who made it happen.

Especially before you vote.

Betsy Voinovich

ps

Oh I'm sorry, Jim you said no politics. I think this thread should be about posting photos of Lakewood Hospital and maybe reminiscences and maybe Gary could write a song about it. I just had to say up front that it didn't have to happen. We could still be living it. We should still be living it.

[Gary Rice]

Song?

Oh Betsy, I tried...

Let's leave it at that.

I tried...

Back to the banjo.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Lakewood Hospital Unveils The Harold C. Schott Pavilion


Mr. Larry Faulhaber, trustee, Lakewood Hospital Foundation, Mrs. Rosemary Faulhaber, Mr. Xenophon Zapis, Mr. Milan Busta, Mrs. Carolyn Seelbach, trustee, Lakewood Hospital Foundation.


Mrs. Janice G. Murphy, RN, BSN, MSN, FACHE, president of Fairview and Lakewood Hospitals, Ms. Betty Jane Mulcahy, trustee, The Harold C. Schott Foundation, Mr. Ken Haber, president, Lakewood Hospital Foundation

Of course at this unveiling people in LHA, Cleveland Clinic, and Lakewood Hospital Foundation knew behind the scenes they were closing the hospital in a couple years, or as soon as possible.

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[Kate McCarthy]

I don't see how you can say "no tears."

I think of rocking my newborn baby, my first, on that atrium. A very sympathetic nurse had brought me there from labor and delivery and told me that all I needed to do was relax and breathe a little and remember the world was still turning and I'd be able to feed him. I remember the warmth and peace of that place. Watching the old folks doing their aerobics, smelling the coffee and blueberry muffins from the Arabica stand and.. I was able to relax, and nurse, and that place, that community literally welcomed my son into the world.

Betsy Voinovich

What a beautiful memory Betsy.

I had a baby at Fairview, and one at Lakewood. At Lakewood, every person that entered my room congratulated and welcomed my daughter into the world. Everyone. Whether they were sweeping the floor, empyting the trash, taking vitals, bringing in a tray of food, there was an acknowledgement that this was a big deal, she was a big deal. It was a stark contrast to Fairview. Memories go way beyond photos. I recall getting blood work at Lakewood Hospital and seeing my neighbor Mary, who was a person that just walked around town, all day, every day, wearing the same coat regardless of the weather. I didn't know where she walked, but that day I found one of the stops on her rounds was for the free coffee and donuts in the lab. She walked in, was greeted with a friendly "Hi Mary!", had her snack and left. She wasn't a talker, just a walker, but she was welcomed there. Not sure if that would be the case in the big glass block across the road.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Films are being edited down, and captions for over 2,000 images, that will be rolled out over the month of celebration. It is tough organizing years of items for the best most complete collection of Hospital items.

This was from November 2009. The new Orthopedic Unit.


Most have nice views, 32 inch High Def TVs.


Ken Haber, Vice President of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation, LHA member addresses how nice it is, and how proud he was of the Foundation, giving $5 million to this project.





It was during this time that City Hall with the help of FitzGerald, Summers, Madigan and Bullock, were deep into percolating their plans to get the Cleveland Clinic out of their contract, and gain access to the funds and land.

Back to reality...


Anyone can stand around taking photos of destruction. But only the Lakewood Observer will cover all angles and back it up with decades of facts, images, stories and realities. You want negativity, try facebook community pages. HERE, we are moving ahead!

But with a great respect and understanding of the past.

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[Jim O'Bryan]

Original Hospital with original Charter.



A photo of them putting trolley tracks down in front of Geiger's Haberdashery. In the red circle the "new" Lakewood Hospital is being built. Probably around 1916.

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[Peter Grossetti]

“To know your future you must know your past.” George Santayana

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"Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins." Carlos Santana

[Peter Grossetti]

The Lakewood Observer is assembling images, artwork, film, prints, newspaper clippings, to add to our extensive collection of Lakewood Hospital documents/images acquired over the years in Lakewood for access in one large photo database about Lakewood Hospital.

Jim - I'll check my photo archives to see what I might have. Shall I post here?

[Jim O'Bryan]

The Lakewood Observer is assembling images, artwork, film, prints, newspaper clippings, to add to our extensive collection of Lakewood Hospital documents/images acquired over the years in Lakewood for access in one large photo database about Lakewood Hospital.

Jim - I'll check my photo archives to see what I might have. Shall I post here?

please do!


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[Jim O'Bryan]

The elvations of the front door for the building being constructed. This drawing has not seen the light of day for decades.


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[Richard Baker]

I remember the atrium. I also remember waiting forever for blood test.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Artist rendering of the new Emergency Room entrance!

Now lets take a step back...


Belle and Detroit, with Lakewood Hospital in the background, probably early 40s.

More coming everyday!

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[Jim O'Bryan]

The original plans for the historic 3-Arches windows.


Inside the old Director's office looking out on Belle and Detroit.

The 3-Arches today...


More photos tomorrow.

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