The Wesson Memorial Hospital on High Street in Springfield, around 1900-1910. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The hospital in 2015:
The Wesson Memorial Hospital was established in 1900 by Daniel B. Wesson, one of the co-founders of Smith & Wesson. His home and factory weren’t too far away from here, and near the end of his life he began several charities, including this hospital. The building hasn’t changed much, and even the fence along the sidewalk is still there. It is still used for medical offices, although Wesson Memorial merged with the Medical Center of Western Massachusetts in 1976 to form Baystate Medical Center, one of the largest employers in Massachusetts.
I was born(supposedly) on Feb.26 1933 at Wesson memorial hospital. Some time back I checked the number of births in that date at the hospital. Results…none were born. I was a ceasarian birth.
Is there any way I can check when my birth date is?
Could be the 27th or 28th.
Do you still have the records? I would be willing to pay to find out.
I don’t have access to any of those records. You could try contacting Baystate, since they own the hospital now. Does the city clerk’s office have your birth certificate on file though? Because that would probably be a more accurate record than the hospital records anyway. Hope that helps!
Wesson Memorial and Wesson Women’s were at two different locations – both became part of Baystate Medical. Perhaps you were born at Wesson Women’s, near the Spfld. Hospital.
Was Wesson Woman’s also known as Wesson Maternity at any point? My mom told me I was born at Wesson Maternity.
Where was Wesson Maternity physically located?
Wesson Maternity was originally located next to this building, but in the mid-1950s it moved to a new building next to the present-day Baystate Hospital on Chestnut Street.
I have a great great grandmother that was treated and died in Wesson Memorial in 1907. Was this hospital a private and specialized hospital?
Thank you!
At that point the hospital was privately run and practiced homeopathic medicine; they switched to conventional medicine in 1923 and then in 1976 were part of the merger that formed Baystate. Hope that helps!
From what I have read, and I imagine you already know, Wesson was a big believer in homeopathic medicine.
I was a young nurse in the ER in 1967 and wanting to find another nurse who mentored me so well. Does the hospital have employment records?
I would suggest contacting the Baystate HR department to see if they might be able to help you out.
Good Day Ms. Letendre,
I would like to ask by chance, if you can recall working there in April of 1968 ? Just curious, as I was born there in the evening hours of the 16th and recently acquired my Birth Certificate. If you know the name of your mentor, you can look the name up at; http://www.beenverified.com. Perhaps that would be helpful. 🙂
Thank you.
Bea McCarty (Dorchies-Maiden Name)
I worked there as an orderly in 1971. I was escaping factory work in a tire factory in Chicopee. I remember how cool and clean it was in the first floor lobby, with white marble floors and beautiful wood paneled walls. There was a coffee shop near the information desk with a small row of round seats at the fountain counter. Some beautiful nurses were sitting there on their break. That was all I needed to see. Air conditioned, clean, the nurses. I was sold. I ended up working for $1.75 an hour and was happy to be there.
I worked at both the coffee shop & front desk when you were there, Gary! My Mother ran the Gift Shop, and when I lost a job, she suggested I apply for work at Wesson. I “graduated” to Supervisor (one of two) for the switchboard, and “retired” when one of the Medical staff asked if I’d work for his office. Sounded like a good position, and the benefits were almost as good as at Baystate (salary was a bit higher).
My starting salary at Wesson was $1.25 an hour! I loved all the people at Wesson – being there was like being part of a Family.
For 25 year my dad worked at ran Wesson Maternity and Springfield Hospital. He was on-call round the clock. I delivered Newspapers at Wesson for many years until Junior high and I sed to talk to the staff at the coffee shop and switchboard daily. Moved out of Springfield in the early 1970s
I remember the switchboard but do not recall the name of the woman who worked there at night. I remeber her clearly but not her name. There was an open window at the door to the switchboard that people came up to when they found no else to direct them. At night it became a kind of confessional, where visitors would stop on their way home and relate life stories to the operator who they did not know and who did not know them. Once in a while she would tell me about one of these visits. We thought it would make for a good TV sitcom some day.
I was born there in 1971 and my Dad used to work at Uniroyal TIres too…
I was born there (I think) ….in 1971 too…. sadly i was given up for adoption or somesuch…. maybe forced adoption as my mom was very young. i wonder how many of us have similar stories… I heard there was a “unwed” mothers program in Springfield, MA that she was sent away to…
In 2005 I had seen a doctor there, he was doing his internship, I would like to find out where he went after he left there, He was the best Dr I ever had. I have his last name on an appointment card but can,t seem to find him. How would I get that information.
I would suggest contacting Baystate – they might be able to help you figure out who he was.
My father was born at wesson maternity hospital on 6/14/1924 I do have his birth record and delivery doc was a Fairy Brown, MD would his records still be around ?
and back in the day would my grandmother have had to prove marriage? I have been searching and searching for this question to be answered
I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. You could try contacting Baystate, but I don’t know if they would keep such records or if they would even be available to the public.
I found Fairy! Here’s a link to the information about him. Quite a story! Glad you’d asked!
https://www.baystatehealth.org/-/media/files/foundation/bhf-impact-newsletter-spring-2015.pdf?la=en
I remember Fairy Brown. I never knew her (him?) but I remember walking down State Sgreet, maybe near Temple street and always noticing a placard outside a pretty house, which said Fairy Brown.
Wesson Maternity hospital also had an emergency room on the right side, in the back. It was next to the High School of Commerce
My mother was a graduate of Wesson Memorial School of Nursing in 1940. I have a few pictures of her with the last class that graduated, but I was wondering if you have any information on the school and why it closed. Thank you so much.
I don’t have any information in the school, but perhaps Baystate might have records on it?
Just gotta Love Google, Hania! Here’s a link for Nursing Education History. Wesson Memorial School of Nursing is in there!
https://www.americannursinghistory.org/nursing-education-history
My mother graduated from there in 1933. I have her yearbook, diploma and pin. I was wondering if the hospital would like them for their archives.
She was a wonderful nurse.
I am interested in learning more about my grandmother (whom I never knew) and her work as a female physician at Wesson Memorial Hospital in the early 1900’s. I understand that she was a rare commodity as one of the first female physicians in Springfield at the time. Her name was Dr. Clarice J. Parsons. I would appreciate any information that you would have or if there is someone you could direct me to.
You might want to check with Baystate. Since they were the successors to Wesson Memorial, they might have information on her in their archives.
I was born in Springfield but did not live there long or spend time there as I grew up. This is so cool to see. Thank you for sharing these photos and information about the hospital. I am going to order a copy of your book about Springfield and learn more about where I was born.
I was born there in Feb. 4, 1953. I have been told it was one of the snowiest winters in February in Western Massachusetts.
Like most people, I was born. Specifically on July 2, 1958 at Wesson Maternity Hospital. Was Wesson Maternity in the same building as Wesson Memorial, or in a different location? Thank you
Wesson Maternity was originally located nearby at the corner of High and Myrtle Streets, but in the early 1950s it was moved to Pratt Street, on the campus of the present-day Baystate Medical Center, so I would imagine that is where you were born.
I was the 50,000 baby born at Wesson Maternity Hospital in October of 1948. My dad was a Sophomore at Springfield College, my mother was a Secretary for the Dean of the Engineering Dept.
I still have the article from the Springfield paper announcing my birth, along with a retirement announcement of the nurse holding me in the picture. The hospital paid for my birth and my mothers and my two week hospital stay. Basically, I was “born free”. I’ve always loved that.
Awesome
Story!
I remember in the late 90’s into the early 2000’s the Psyciatric unit was there. It probably has moved to Chestnut Street.
There are many types of records at the Genealogy section of the Wood Museum in Springfield MA
I know there are some indexed records of students in Springfield schools who are born prior to 1951
They have many things archived They actually are called “The Museum of Springfield History ” Edwards St at the Quadrangle
My grandfather, Dr. Arthur Edgelow, was an obstetrician at Wesson Maternity, where both my mom and myself were born. Granddaddy delivered over 3000 babies during his long career. Maybe this little tidbit of info will be helpful to someone out there.
Hi Dave…. maybe your Granddaddy delivered ME! how cool ! so, was he there during the 70s? or 3/9/1971 … i am (here) trying to find info on my birth. A dr’s name was not what i was looking for but really COOL information… made me smile at least….
I worked in the Business Office in 1969-1971…. I worked with Sandy Olko, Norma O’Golly and Arlene Felton…. one of my favor places to work
I was born at Wesson Maternity August 10th, 1963. I remember my mother telling me her Dr was Dr Robert E. Lee Loring. Anyone know of him?
I worked in the Accounts Receivables (Medicaid biller)from 1969-1971…. I loved it there. I worked with Sandy Olko, Norma O’Golly, Sandy Bannon, Arlene Felton(Credit office)
Hospital was designed by George Wood Taylor
I worked as a nurse in the E.D. of Wesson Memorial Hospital from 1974-1979… Best place to work back then!! Warm family environment..
I was born in 3/9/1971 Springfield MA …from what i was told there was a hospital for women (unwed) to stay/deliver their babies. How can I find out more info about my birth? If I was I given up for adoption? or what info can I learn about this? I think i was given up and later reclaimed by my biological dad/his family (who pretty much raised me). The women saying she is my mother refuses to give me a DNA sample. My DNA did match to a half sister of my Bio dad so i’m good there… but something ODD about my birth mother situation …some secret ….something. She was underage…
I was an x-ray technician {as they called us back then} at Wesson back in the 1959 to 1962 when I left to have my first child. I graduated from the school of x-ray there in 1959. I returned to work there my husband passed and worked again there from 1968
to 1970 when I moved with my new husband to Florida. I worked again at a community hospital here in Florida for 25 years. I can honestly I loved what I did as a profession.
I remember fondly Dr. John Turner our Radiologist.