Built in 1856, Armory Square Hospital stood for more than a century on Independence Ave and 7th Sts. SW. It was demolished in 1964, and has since been replaced by the National Air and Space Museum.
Here’s a photo from 1865 that depicts hospital patients in Ward K. The patients are almost all here due to injuries or diseases sustained from the Civil War. The way some of the patients are looking directly into the camera creeped us out a bit. The ages seem to range, based on those with full beards and bald heads, and others whose faces look younger. Some are better than others at staying still – evident by some being blurry – making the photo look even more ghostly. You may be able to see a few pictures on the wall, too. On the far wall, it looks to us like there are two pictures of men riding horses with a seal in between the two.
Below, you’ll also find a photo of the hospital, and a map of where it stood (look for number 6).
Sources: Library of Congress, National Institutes of Health
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