2
3

1909–1919
4

The early history of Walter Reed 

General Hospital begins here 

with a few details to set the stage 

for the photographs in this volume. 

Limited by an initial appropriation of 

$100,000 for the land, which purchased 

a little over 43 acres known as the Cameron Tract, and $200,000 for the buildings, the nascent campus of 1909 contained only the main hospital building 

for administration, 65–80 beds for 

inpatient care (reports vary), and two 

double sets of sergeant’s quarters. During the first two years, support buildings were added to include a quartermaster storehouse and commissary, a 

stable, a wagon shed and garage, a barracks for the Hospital Corps (Building 

7), and two sets of Captain’s quarters 

(currently the General Officer quarters). In 1911, the Army Nurse Corps 

Home (Building 12) for 20 nurses was 

completed. The original clinical facility 

of Building 1 was soon outgrown, and 

new additions were added. A separate 

building for an “isolation hospital” of 

12 beds opened in 1913, a west addition to Building 1 was completed in 

1914, and an east addition was completed in 1915. 

World War I would, of course, change 

everything. The Post Return for April 

1917, the month the United States entered the war, reported an active duty 

staff of 15 officers and 158 enlisted 

men, with 121 inpatients and an approximately 180-bed capacity. A total 

of 173 personnel for 121 patients may 

seem like excessive staffing, but, at the 

Title page - William Cline Borden’s original dream for the Army Medical Department’s facilities in Washington, D.C. was a single campus with the Walter Reed 

General Hospital, the Army Medical School, the Army Medical Museum, and the 

Surgeon General’s Library. The preceding page is a watercolor drawing by architects Marsh and Peters of their concept for this campus. The original drawing, 

about 6 feet by 6 feet in size, is currently displayed in the lobby of the Borden 

Pavilion.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection, Reeve 2938

4

time, there were only a few civilian 

employees and active duty personnel 

who did almost all the work, including 

clinical care, maintenance of the facility and equipment, minor construction 

projects, feeding of all personnel, and 

maintaining the animals.

To care for the war wounded, construction of temporary buildings started on 

June 15, 1917, and, by the end of the 

year, the hospital had a capacity of 950 

beds. An additional land purchase of 

a little more than 25 acres was made 

from several surrounding landowners 

and along with the original purchase 

of 43 acres brought the total reservation to 69 acres. By the end of 1918, the 

total bed capacity was 2,500 beds, and 

admissions for 1918 were the highest 

u The first medical department unit to 

occupy Walter Reed Hospital Reservation was Company C of the Hospital 

Corps. The area that they bivouacked 

had been used by Confederate General Jubal Early on July 11-12, 1864 in 

his attack on Washington. This same 

site was used for the Army Medical 

School building in 1923.

Source: Military Surgeon, Vol. 64, No. 4, April 

1929
5

for the World War I period at 13,752. If 

the war was not enough, the great influenza pandemic swept the country 

and world in the fall of 1918, leading to 

over 2,000 admissions for influenza and 

more than 150 deaths at Walter Reed 

during a difficult 6-month period.

In addition to the wounded, war 

brought volunteers to the hospital to 

assist in their care and recovery. Edith 

Oliver Rea, a wealthy Pittsburgh philanthropist temporarily residing in 

Washington with her husband who 

came to assist with the war effort, became a benefactor to Walter Reed. Mrs. 

Rea was asked by the American Red 

Cross to be the Field Director at Walter 

Reed. She did so for 1 year, and then 

turned the title over to Miss Margaret 

5

Lower; but, she stayed on as the leader of the volunteers who, because of 

their soft pearl-gray uniforms, became 

known as the Red Cross Gray Ladies, 

a moniker that spread nationally and 

continues to this day. 

The war generated the need for additional trained nurses, which led to the 

establishment at Walter Reed and other 

locations of the Army School of Nursing (ASN) in August 1918. Planned for 

three years of training, the ASN was the 

Army’s first adventure into training its 

own female nurses. Its charter class at 

Walter Reed swelled to over 400 students and is reputed to be the largest 

in American history; subsequent classes were significantly smaller. Although 

trained at government expense, there 

was no statutory service obligation and 

less than one-third of the graduates actually elected to enter active duty. The 

war ended in November 1918, but the 

ASN remained at Walter Reed until it 

was phased out in the early 1930s. The 

ASN was unusual for nursing schools 

of its day because the purpose of ASN 

was to train nurses, not to provide a 

pool of inexpensive skilled labor for its 

hospital. 
6

This is the oldest known photograph of the main building. Building 1 opened for its first patients on May 1, 1909.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, AMM 484

u Originally designed for 65–80 

patients, the hospital was expanded to 

2,500 beds for servicemembers from 

World War I. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, 65-12603
7

p Aerial view of the campus is dated March 15, 1919. The annotated photograph identifies three nurses homes, the gatehouse, main entrance, Commander’s Quarters, and Wards 1 through 4. This view is looking toward present-day Georgia 

Avenue. The Sharpshooter’s Tree can be seen between nurses’ home 1 and the gatehouse. This chaotic picture was typical of the temporary expansion of the campus in World War I. Note the address is Takoma Park, D.C. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

t In July of 1864 the Sharpshooter 

Tree was used by Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Fort Stevens. 

General Jubal Early commanded the 

Confederate Army’s II Corps in its advance on Washington. They used this 

tulip tree to position sharpshooters to 

take shots at Union soldiers stationed 

at Fort Stevens located half a mile to 

the south. 

Source: Library of Congress
8

Artist’s conception of the proposed Army Medical School and Army Medical Center dated 1919. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 2398

t Photograph of detachment of 

medical personnel that opened Walter 

Reed Hospital on May 1, 1909. Seated in the front are (left to right) Capt. 

Walter Huggins, acting Quartermaster; Maj. Thomas L. Rhodes, adjutant 

and surgeon; Col. William Arthur, 

commanding officer; Capt. William 

Pipes, Capt. Percival L. Jones.

Source: Signal Corps
9

This 1918 map (top) of the grounds of the hospital shows the increase in temporary buildings required to serve the returning veterans. Note the greenhouses on the east side of Georgia Avenue. The reverse of the map (bottom) encourages 

the patients to be active. As the poster says, “something to do” may be things in leather, decorative bookbinding, drawing, 

block printing, stenciling, metal work, beadwork, or twine work.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
10

u Artist’s conception of the Nurses 

Quarters and Training School dated 

February 14, 1919. The Army School 

of Nursing at Walter Reed opened in 

1918. Delano Hall was later built to 

house the nurses.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 3146
11

t This 1918 artist’s conception is a 

plan for the Army Medical School. 

The Army Medical School moved to 

the hospital campus in 1923 from its 

location in downtown Washington. A 

building to house the school was built 

to the west on a direct line with Building 1. The architecture was compatible with the permanent buildings, the 

exterior being of brick with limestone 

trimmings. The main entrance to the 

south wing lead into a large central 

lobby. When completed a decade later, 

the building would consist of two long 

wings connected by a central portion 

that housed a large auditorium. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection, Reeve 

2211
12

p Red Cross House and Post Exchange. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, NCP 15008

q Red Cross volunteers.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works 

Archives
13

t A view of the hospital and some of 

the support buildings probably taken 

in 1915 as the west addition (left) to 

Building 1 is completed and the east 

addition is under construction. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 3080a

p The Walter Reed Army General Hospital is located on Georgia Avenue, near Takoma Park, and is on the ground where 

the battle with General Early’s army was fought during the Civil War. It honors the name of Maj. Walter Reed, Medical 

Corps, U.S.A., whose life ended on November 23, 1902. (Postcard)

Source: Pierce Collection
14

u Radio communication played a major role in connecting 

the wounded veterans with the world outside the hospital 

grounds. In February 1919, the Telegraphy School, with assistance from the Signal Corps, installed two complete sets 

of wireless instruments. This apparatus consisted of a longwave receiving set for handling the high-powered overseas 

stations, and a commercial wave set for recording signals 

sent out by ship and shore stations. The set could also tune 

as low as 100 meters, thus enabling the operator to handle 

the amateurs on the waves of 200 meters. By June 1920, it 

was considered one of the most up-to-date radio stations of 

its size on the East Coast. The Come-Back, June 26, 1920. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History 

Collection
15

t The Come-Back, published from December 4, 1918 to September 17, 1926 

strengthened the morale of the soldiers and soldier-patients of the hospital. It 

was one of approximately 50 newspapers published at military hospitals around 

the country. The Come-Back was sold on the streets of Washington and sales 

to the community were encouraged. To cover the cost of production, advertising space was sold to local businessmen, and the paper itself cost five cents. 

Because of the audience, general news was covered in addition to news of happenings at the hospital. Initially four pages, within a year it was 12 pages, and its 

circulation doubled and then tripled. The paper became an effective crusader for 

soldiers successfully fighting for reduced rates on rail travel. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

p This rickshaw wheelchair combination was perfect for negotiating paths around the hospital grounds. The Come-Back,

Vol. 1, May 21, 1919. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
16

q Pneumonia ward in 1919. There 

were more than 150 patient deaths 

due to the influenza pandemic in the 

fall and winter of 1918–1919.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 604-2

t Here, a camera is recording an 

operation. The motion picture camera 

became a critical part of the teaching 

mission of the hospital. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 562
17

p Observation Ward. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 602

u Mess Hall Ward, Ward Y for patients.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 743
18

t Foot gymnastics for soldiers from 

Army camps, Walter Reed Hospital. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 279

t Massaging residual limbs of soldiers preparatory to prosthetic fitting. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 278

u Amputees at Walter Reed General Hospital whose stumps were 

massaged daily and made ready for 

prosthetics. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 273
19

t Horticultural therapy involves the 

use of gardening, landscaping, flower 

arranging, nature crafts, and related 

activities. The purpose is to boost the 

patient’s self-esteem, develop a sense 

of accomplishment, and overcome 

stress. In addition to the therapy, the 

greenhouses produced plants and 

holiday flowers used for programs and 

activities at the hospital. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 276

u Soldier-patients working in the 

garden at Walter Reed Hospital, 

Reconstruction Division. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 469

t When a second greenhouse was 

needed, there was no funding available. Used and about to be discarded, 

glass X-ray plates were cleaned, 

set into frames, and reused as window panes in construction of the 

new greenhouse. The two original 

greenhouses and a third donated by 

the U.S. Park Service in 1943 were 

demolished in 1998. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 275
20

t Hammer with hand mold for wounded hand. Used by Pvt. John Aver (37th 

Division, U.S. Infantry), World War I. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 1789

p Sign painting class provided re-education of the wounded. Walter Reed Hospital, Reconstruction Division. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 2011
21

t Making jewelry provided 

re-education opportunities for 

wounded soldiers.

Source National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 2022

q Pvt. Ralph Grimm, who became an 

expert Silversmith in the Walter Reed 

occupational therapy shop. (Original 

caption)

Source: Pierce Collection

p A silver ashtray made by a patient 

undergoing therapy at Walter Reed. 

Stamped on the bottom is “Walter 

Reed General Hospital”

Source: Pierce Collection, Douglas Wise - 

photographer
22

t Wounded soldier learning to type. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 285

t Injured soldiers learning to knit. 

Walter Reed General Hospital, Reconstruction Division. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 305

u Patient working at his old trade as a 

draughtsman. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, Reeve 277
23

The new swimming pool, donated by Mrs. Rea, was used for physical therapy and soldier recreation. The Come-Back,

July 9, 1919. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
24

Patient rehabilitation. Playing baseball. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
25