Cranston General Hospital collection
Collection Scope and Content
The Cranston General Hospital collection consists of 15 series. The Joan Abar collection consists of records collected by Dr. Joan Abar and added to the Cranston General Hospital when donated to NEOHC and includes primarily newspaper clippings, photographs, and records relating to the hospital chapel. The largest series in the Cranston General Hospital collection are newspaper clippings, photographs, and administrative records. A large portion of the records in the collection relate to fundraising and expansion efforts throughout the existence of the hospital.
Biographical/Historical Note
Cranston General Hospital was established in 1933 as the Osteopathic Hospital of Rhode Island. Twelve osteopaths pooled their resources to purchase a mansion on Broad St. in Cranston, Rhode Island. The original hospital had 6 physicians, 12 nurses and could house 18 patients. The hospital grew steadily through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s adding new wings in 1954, 1961, 1963, 1967, and 1979. In 1947 the hospital became Osteopathic General Hospital, and in 1971 the Cranston General Hospital. The hospital closed September 20, 1993 due to bankruptcy.