The Medical Building – SUI’s Ill-Fated Medical Experiment.

The Medical Building was built in 1882 at a cost of $45,000, and was constructed to house the growing Medical College, which opened its doors for the first time on Sept. 20, 1870. Over its short 19-year existence, this stately building was twice remodeled, the last time in 1888. Twice struck by lightning and once having its roof torn off in a wind storm, the nemesis which seemed to pursue this building completed its work of ruin on a wild night – March 10, 1901 – after a storm of ice and sleet had been raging for hours. The fire alarm was turned in at 2:15 in the morning and a great crowd gathered to watch the fire and offer assistance – but it was too late, for the flames made short work of the interior wooden construction.

Location: The Medical Building was located directly south of Old Capitol and South Hall, on what was, at that time, called University Square. The Medical Building faced east, with two entrances: one on the east side, and the second on the south, leading to the intersection of Capitol and Washington Streets.

The SUI College of Medicine opened doors for its first class on Sept. 20, 1870, meeting in South Hall (1861), for which an appropriation of $3,000 was made in the summer of 1869 for alterations to meet the needs of the new department. The remodeled building included a 100-seat amphitheater and a basement dissecting room, as well as cabinets and storage facilities for medical supplies and equipment, but it did not provide hospital beds.

**1871 SUI Medical Class.** In the late 1860s, a prominent Davenport surgeon named **Washington F. Peck** initiated efforts to create a medical college in Iowa City. With support from **Judge John F. Dillon** (a patient of Peck’s and a graduate of the original Davenport medical college) and the **Honorable John P. Irish** (Iowa City newspaper editor, state legislator, and a member of the university Board of Trustees), the Iowa City medical department gained approval as the official University medical college in 1870.

***The Medical Class of 1880 – outside South Hall.***

By the late 1870’s, the College of Medicine had completely outgrown its allotted space in South Hall, but despite the growth, the State General Assembly was very stingy in giving SUI what it needed to expand facilities, let alone maintain the status quo. Soon after SUI President Josiah L. Pickard came into office (1878), the Visiting Committee noted that chairs, desks, and furniture in all departments were old and very dilapidated, having been in active service for ten to twenty years – plus, none of the University property carried any insurance!

In response, the State Regents set up an annual endowment of $20,000 for building purposes, but with all four University facilities (see below) in great need of repair, and with inadequate heating systems, it was obvious that $20K per year would only scratch the surface.

In this promotional piece from 1900, the University’s original four buildings are pictured. Note in 1900, Mechanics Academy (#2) was called Old Mercy Hospital, Old Capitol (#1) was called Central Building – or Central Hall, and North Hall (#4) was called Library Hall since it become the second home of the University Library (1882-1901).

In 1879, the University Board, in desperation, met and passed the following resolution:

Resolved that in the opinion of this Board the time has come when steps should be taken toward heating the University buildings with steam.

This action put into place the construction of the Armory/Power Plant – adjacent to Old Capitol – (see pics above). And in 1881, the Regents responded in kind by voting in additional appropriation of $1500 for stone walks on University Square and $1400 for repairing and enlarging University Hospital (Mechanics Academy) – but still no word on any new buildings!

But then suddenly, the Regents surprised everyone – approving the Visiting Committee’s recommendation for an additional $80,000 appropriation to be used for constructing two new buildings on University Square – and new furniture! Back in Iowa City, an elated Dr. J.C. Shrader, a member of the University medical faculty, quickly secured an additional appropriation of $30,000, and a new home for the College of Medicine was about to become a reality.

**Architect’s stone – **J.C. Cochrane** – from the new Medical Building – 1882.**

Construction on the new Medical Building began immediately, with the building opening up for classes in the fall of 1882. Read more about Dr. Washington F. Peck – the founding of the SUI College of Medicine.

Without a doubt, the Medical Building was a state-of-the-art facility, offering both students and faculty a place to learn and grow.

*The new Medical Building (1882) and South Hall (1861) – side by side.*

**Dissection Amphitheater** – circa 1883.

**Medical Training Sessions** – circa 1890.

***Pasteur Bacteriology Class Lab*** – *Spring of 1895.*

**Doctor Rockwood is found in a bit of peril.** This picture parody, produced by the medical students during the 1887-1888 school year, illustrates how the class felt about Dr. Rockwood, who was the lecturer in chemistry class. Apparently, the students were threatening to hold the good doctor out the window of the amphitheater (top left) until he promised not to return. Fortunately, **President Schaeffer** stepped in, took charge, reassigning Rockwood as his personal assistant, thus ending the student uprising!

***1895 – University Square.*** *From left to right – Medical Building, South Hall, Old Capitol, North Hall, and Science Hall.*

As the 19th century was drawing to an end, an insurance appraisal of SUI buildings and grounds was set at $400,000. But despite the impressive numbers, a true picture of the University showed more limitations than assets. The inadequacy of hospital accommodations at Mechanics Academy was limiting the growth potential of the Medical and Homeopathic Departments, while the Dental Department, working out of a crowded South Hall, had been forced to limit admissions due to lack of space.

Some concrete achievement was discernible, nevertheless, in the nine years of President Pickard’s tenure (1878-1887), only four structures had been erected: the first Homeopathic Medical Building (1878), the Power Plant (1879), the Medical Building (1882), and Science Hall (1884). In spite of the addition of these new facilities, acute shortages still existed, especially in classroom, office and laboratory space. Urgent also were the needs for a gymnasium, athletic field, and assembly hall.

Yet as bad as all this seemed, things got much worse before it got better. Case in point?

Over its short 19-year existence, the Medical Building was twice remodeled, the last time in 1888. Twice struck by lightning and once having its roof torn off in a wind storm, the nemesis which seemed to pursue this building completed its work of ruin on a wild night – March 10, 1901 – after a storm of ice and sleet had been raging for hours.

Sadly, tragedy fell on March 10, 1901, when the 19-year old Medical Building, along with the adjoining South Hall, were completely destroyed by fire.

**Iowa City historian, Bob Hibbs, tells the story…**

The fire alarm sounded at 2:15 a.m. Sunday, March 10, 1901, stirring the community to action during a nasty spring rain and sleet storm as flames enveloped (the) Medical Building along Washington Street on the southern edge of the main campus area. It threatened South Hall located just 26 feet away and the Kirkwood Hotel across (Washington) street. *There also was fear for Old Capitol itself. Explosion of chemicals in the medical school’s laboratory awakened many to action.* Students, faculty and townspeople rushed to empty South Hall of its engineering college equipment and library as well as the ornate furnishings in the top floor literary society rooms. A heavy flow of water was set up on large engineering school equipment in the basement. As a result, these materials and equipment were saved despite the total loss of South Hall as flames engulfed it just minutes later. Water was spread on the Kirkwood and it was spared. The wooden window trim of the (new) Liberal Arts Building (Schaeffer Hall) sustained limited damage and had to be replaced, but the as yet unoccupied building was spared. Old Capitol likewise was spared.

“If it had not been for the rain and sleet, the livery barn and Kirkwood Hotel would very probably have gone the way of the two university buildings,” commented the University Vidette-Reporter newspaper. The Kirkwood name was used by the Burkley family on the then 60-room Burkley Hotel between 1892 and 1902, otherwise operated as the Burkley from 1863 to 1974. The med school lost everything – its entire library, 14 cadavers, numerous anatomy specimens and considerable equipment. The fire was out before daybreak, which brought with it realization of the disaster.

**The March 12, 1901 *Vidette-Reporter* article reported…**

*$113,555 lost by Fire Sunday Morning—Blaze started from incubator in north room of medical building—Loss of South Hall due to lack of hose—Most of its contents saved.*
Shortly after two o’clock Sunday morning the medical building of the University of Iowa was discovered on fire. Within an hour, the four corners and portions of the east wall were all that was left of two of Iowa’s oldest and most historic buildings. One hundred thousand dollars will cover the loss, except the musical museum which can hardly be replaced at any price.

*Medical school faculty member Walter Bierring wrote about the disaster…*

**“Already on that Sunday morning the vision was clear. Phoenix-like, there would rise from the ashes a greater medical school than ever before.”**

Historian Katherine Bates reflects upon the demise of the Medical Building and South Hall this way…

The Old Capitol still stood serene and beautiful upon the hill above the Iowa River, looking down upon the ashes. Few of the curious onlookers that Sunday morning realized that the old era of buildings had ended, and that both the physical and spiritual University was entering upon a new age.

Click here to read more about the major changes that resulted because of this 1901 fire.

After the 1901 fire, when both the Medical Building and South Hall were destroyed, classroom space was at a premium. This problem proved to be a perfect assignment for the Engineering Department. As soon as the smoke cleared and the debris pulled away, students were at work, building two temporary structures (see pics above) directly over the foundations of the burned out buildings.