At some point, the State of Massachusetts took over the Veterans Hospital and its capacity was reduced to 600 beds. It served as an hospital for aging citizens and a research center for diseases relating to aging. In the 90s, it was all torn down except for the (Cushing) Chapel, the only structure remaining.
Dr. Harvey Cushing, whom the Hospital is named after, was a brilliant neurosurgeon and a brain surgery pioneer. A Cleveland native, he had many ties with the Boston Massachusetts area.
Cushing Hospital ca 1951. Thanks to USGS.
Cushing Hospital back when it was a military hospital. Picture taken at the South end looking North. Thanks to Images of America, Framingham.
Cushing Hospital today. The chapel is the only structure remaining. The pathways between the buildings show the hospital layout. Thanks to googlemaps.
I liked living in Framingham as a child, & much later, 20 some years later but had to travel, live here & there. Now down South I can in some years see my roses blooming after Christmas. Also cactus behind the garage.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a patient at Cushing Hospital from February, 1945 until he passed away on Dec. 8, 1945. We moved to Framingham from Maine to be near him. I was just a little girl but I remember it well and especially recall his funeral at the beautiful chapel.
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment and really sorry about your loss.
DeleteI was a student nurse at Cushing a bit scary big long halls wonderful care I then got married many years later at Cushing memorial chapel to my husband who is a veteran of the Navy Beautiful grounds
DeleteMy Dad was here after returning from France having been shot down in a fire fight. While here he met my mom who was a nurse at Cushing. After a year or so they were married. They were happily married for over thirty five before my mom passed. Very good memories of what I knew about Cushing. :)
DeleteMy father was chief surgeon at the Cushing Genreral Hospital during WWII. I was 6 or 7 when he took me on his "rounds" occasionally.
ReplyDeleteIt was old and beautiful. Patients and staff, like family. Late 1980s' an Alzheimer's Unit created, first year of operation 2 patients improved and were able to return to their family homes. Bob Hope came and performed on stage in the theatre and then visited every ward to meet the bedridden paints. Sad that a $43 million bond was set to rebuild Cushing. Sadly politics on Bacon (Beacon) Hill opted to close Cushing. Every Memorial Day WWII veterans who were treated at Cushing came back to visit. Thankfully the Chapel remains and the City of Framingham kept the land as a memorial park named after Cushing. It had its own Fire & Campus Police even after the state took over. Joggers/walkers used the property as the cruisers would always be patrolling and made it a logical place.
ReplyDeleteMy father serviced in WW2 and was a patient in Cushing before his discharge....where can I get his medical records on his stay in the hospital for our family record.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a patient '45 - '48. Was one of the original "Cushing Clippers" wheelchair basketball team. I have a program from one of the Christmas dinners if the historical Framingham folks wants it. I believe I have some photos as well. KJF.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a patient at Cushing General Hospital after WW2. I also would be interested to find out where I can obtain his hospital records. Thank you, Elizabeth Rassiga lizinreno@att.net
ReplyDeleteAs a 5th grade member of the Plymouth Church choir in Framingham Center we would sing at Christmas in the Cushing Chapel. 1948-1949. I recall stories of German POWs just after the war remaining locally.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were married in Cushing chapel. My Uncle Leo was my father's brother and best man. My Uncle Leo was a machine gunner at the Normandy invasion, was shot and paralyzed from the waist down by German Nazi fire comming down from their position in the trees. Less than 5% of machine gunners survived. He couldn't return his home because it wasn't handicap accessible. The town of Clinton MA had a Leo Laverdure Day parade with the Lt. Governor and the Boston Braves (aka Red Soxs) that raised money for a beautiful ranch home for Uncle Leo, my Aunty Em (with a salon and a buzzer to alert her if Uncle Leo needed her care) and a fitting/sewing room for my seamstress Gramma Lill. Cushing General Hospital was a life saving blessing to a countless many of those who served.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a patient at Cushing hospital after the war, and he met my mother there when she worked as a telephone operator. Now I work at the school next to Cushing Park, and I was married at the chapel.
ReplyDeleteAs a nursing home in the 60's IT Was HORRIBLE.
ReplyDeleteTalk about SCARY ,Patients were neglected and tied to chairs all day.
My great Aunt died there.
It was like something out of a HORROR movie.
I did the last video recording of the whole place..The cable people probably still have the video I put up years ago in the 1990's on my Cable shoe Framingham Historical Memories...
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