The Operating Room of the Hospital Block

A surgery underway at Eastern State in 1958.
The dramatic roofline of the Operating Room as seen from the Central Guard Tower in 2010.
Eastern State proudly featured the new Operating Room in its 1912 Annual Report.
Patient on a gurney, 1958.
2012, $35,000
Status: You can Help

A Critical Facility Upgrade that Saved Lives

A steeply sloped roofline sets the Operating Room apart from other sections of Cellblock 3, one of John Haviland’s original seven blocks of the penitentiary’s radial plan. This distinct addition once held clerestory windows that supplied steady northern light to the room below. Such light was critical to the work of the doctors and inmate nurses performing surgery on Eastern State's burgeoning and aging inmate population.

Completed in 1910, the sterile Operating Room provided a vastly improved surgical environment over the earlier spaces used – an inmate’s individual cell. The Operating Room, converted from two single cells and three exercise yards, was part of a larger renovation campaign turning the entire cellblock into a complete state-of-the-art hospital. In addition to the Operating Room, Cellblock 3 gained laboratories, quarantine housing and recovery wards. By 1917, the entire block was devoted to medical care.

There were over 100 surgeries a year in the hospital by 1920, up from just a handful in the first years of the 20th century. A variety of surgeries were performed: amputations, appendectomies, circumcisions, hernia repairs, dental and eye-related procedures, and more. Al Capone had his tonsils removed in September 1929. In the 1940s, Eastern State launched a “skin bank” so inmates could donate skin to burn victims, particularly children and servicemen affected by World War II.

By the 1950s and 60s, Eastern State’s medical wing had become an unusually well equipped and sophisticated prison hospital. Inmates from other facilities with challenging medical conditions were often transferred to the penitentiary for treatment. In a typical week the operating room might be used for heart surgery, joint repair, emergency trauma, and plastic surgery. The Medical Director reported 226 procedures in 1964.

Preservation Efforts 2003 –2011
Eastern State has made steady progress towards mitigating the Hospital Block’s profound state of ruin and laying the groundwork for opening it up permanently.

Collapse Prevented
In 2003 – 2004, Eastern State saved two structures from near collapse. We restored the drainage systems and asphalt shingle roof over the Operating Room and installed a temporary wood and rubber membrane roof over the Recovery Room. Donors to the 2002 Annual Appeal made this work possible.

Roofs Restored
Eastern State conducted a major roofing project 2009 – 2011 that replaced roofs over the Solarium and Cellblock 3. Donors to the 2007 Annual Appeal supported this significant progress.

Access Expanded
This past year, with the roofing completed, we cleaned the corridor linking the Center to the Cellblock 3 head gate. Visitors gained a clearer view of the block. Expanded signage and a new audio stop featuring excerpts of interviews with former staff and inmates provided more information about its use as a hospital and the location of the various specialized spaces.

Eastern State must complete extensive stabilization work to meet building safety codes, particularly under the Solarium, before we can fully open up the Hospital Block. There is, however, an intermediate step we can take that will let visitors into part of this fascinating section of the penitentiary.

Hands-On History in the Operating Room
Eastern State would like to add the Operating Room as a new regular Hands-On History tour for 2012. A comprehensive year-long conservation project will prepare the space for the tour. Generous donations will make it possible to phase this project as follows:

  • January – February 2012. Conservators will conduct an archeological study of the Operating Room by sifting through the debris, recovering artifacts and fragments and then assessing the extent of additional conservation needed. Among the artifacts are an IV drip stand, a large cabinet that lies face down in the debris, and a veneered door including the name of the former medical supervisor, Dr. Goracci.
  • March – April 2012. Stabilization of architectural elements will commence. This will include treatment of the arched doorway with its fanlight, the skylight and the overhead operating lamp, the room's most distinctive feature. Penitentiary staff will develop the Hands-On History content.
  • At this point, we can begin conducting the Hands-On History tours.
  • May – December 2012. Conservation and re-installation of significant furnishings and artifacts to further enhance the interpretation of the Operating Room.

You Can Help!
The study, stabilization and conservation of the Operating Room will cost $35,000. Please consider a generous direct contribution to the Hospital Fund. Donate online today!

Increase the power of your donation with a matching gift. Check if your company has a Matching Gift Program.

In contrast to other Eastern State preservation efforts, your gift will yield an almost immediate return on your investment. You and more than 130,000 other annual visitors will have the opportunity to experience the Operating Room Hands-On History stop in the coming year.

Thank you for your generosity. Your gift will help us both advance preservation of the Hospital Block and enhance Eastern State’s programs with a significant addition to the successful Hands-On History program.