Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital
Encyclopedia
Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital, also known as Walthill Hospital or Dr. Susan Picotte Memorial Hospital, is a hospital
in Walthill, Nebraska
, on the Omaha Indian Reservation.
The hospital was developed by Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte (1865–1915), the first female Native American
medical doctor. Built with money raised by Picotte from various sources, it was the first hospital for any Indian reservation not funded by government money.
A working hospital until the late 1940s, the building has served a variety of functions since, most recently including a museum. It is now owned by the Center for Rural Affairs, which is in the process of restoring it.
The hospital was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1993.
The building was designed by architect William L. Steele
in 1912 and built in 1912–1913. Set on a concrete foundation on a hill overlooking Walthill, the one-and-one-half-story hospital was built in the American Craftsman
style of architecture. Typical of Craftsman style, it features a low-pitched, shingled (originally wood-shingled) roof, wide eaves with large braces beneath, exposed roof rafter tails, and a centered gabled dormer. A prominent screened porch runs the entire length of the front (east side) of the structure, bounded by columns that support the roof.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Walthill, Nebraska
Walthill, Nebraska
Walthill is a village in Thurston County, Nebraska, United States, within the Omaha Reservation. The population was 909 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walthill is located at...
, on the Omaha Indian Reservation.
The hospital was developed by Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte (1865–1915), the first female Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
medical doctor. Built with money raised by Picotte from various sources, it was the first hospital for any Indian reservation not funded by government money.
A working hospital until the late 1940s, the building has served a variety of functions since, most recently including a museum. It is now owned by the Center for Rural Affairs, which is in the process of restoring it.
The hospital was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1993.
The building was designed by architect William L. Steele
William L. Steele
William LaBarthe Steele was an important architect of the Prairie School during the early twentieth century. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Steele worked in the office of renowned architect Louis Sullivan in Chicago, Illinois 1897–1900...
in 1912 and built in 1912–1913. Set on a concrete foundation on a hill overlooking Walthill, the one-and-one-half-story hospital was built in the American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
style of architecture. Typical of Craftsman style, it features a low-pitched, shingled (originally wood-shingled) roof, wide eaves with large braces beneath, exposed roof rafter tails, and a centered gabled dormer. A prominent screened porch runs the entire length of the front (east side) of the structure, bounded by columns that support the roof.
External links
- __: __ photos, __drawings, __data pages and supplemental material, at Historic American Building Survey
- Picotte Memorial Hospital, from a National American Indian Heritage Month feature at the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...