Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1897-1974, 1986 (Creation)
- Creator
- Woodstock General Hospital
- Place
- Woodstock
Physical description area
Physical description
45 cm of textual records
63 framed photographs – mostly graduation photographs/composites
10 rolls of ¼ and 16 mm film
Nursing caps, neckpiece, badges and wallet
Medical instruments and tools
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Following several typhoid epidemics and six years of debate, the Woodstock General Hospital was opened in 1895 and was situated on a hill between Riddell and Wellington Streets in the Town of Woodstock. The original building, part of which was still in use in 1997, contained a small operating room and thirty patient beds. In the subsequent years additions were added to the hospital such as the West Wing in 1924; the X-ray Department in 1925; and the Children’s Ward in 1935. By 1951 there were fifty-eight doctors in practice and one hundred and nineteen beds in use including twenty-six for children and one in isolation.
In 1954 work began on a new addition to the hospital, which saw most of the original structure torn down and replaced with a new wing facing Riddell Street. This new wing, comprising of a basement and three floors, included a laboratory, pharmacy, kitchen, administrative offices, and emergency department. The new addition also saw an increase in bed capacity to one hundred and fifty five and created two new operating rooms. On May 15, 1955 the patients were transferred to the new building. In 1967 another major addition was added to the hospital. Known as the Farthing Wing, it included physiotherapy facilities and a new laboratory. In 1997 renovations to create a new surgical suite, recreation room and chemotherapy and dialysis unit began.
In 2008 work started on a new three-story 32,515 square metre facility, on Juliana Drive, which would be double the size of the current facility and would include a twenty-two bed in-patient rehabilitation program, surgical services with five operating room theatres, a maternal women’s health unit and a dedicated pediatric room, as well as improved mental health facilities. In 2011 staff members and patients were moved to the new hospital and the old Woodstock General Hospital was subsequently torn down and the land sold.
Nursing training began the first year the hospital was opened and in 1914 Patterson House was built as a nurses’ residence on the northwest corner of Wellington and Brant Streets. In 1930 the first formal class was accepted, consisting of seven students. Formal classroom teaching was done on the first floor of the west wing in 1924, but was later moved to the basement of Gissing House, an additional nurses’ residence, in 1937. In 1952-1953 the Candlelighting Ceremony was started to mark the completion of the Junior set of lectures and the official acceptance of the student into the school. In 1962, the Ethel M. Finkle building was opened to house the new School of Nursing. The school was built to accommodate 25-30 students per year and provided up-to-date facilities which included classroom space, laboratories and a library. In 1968 a new residence named “Vance House”, in honour of Dr. James A. Vance, President of the Hospital Board, was opened to accommodate the students.
The Woodstock General Hospital School of Nursing continued until 1974 when the Woodstock campus of Fanshawe College opened its own school of nursing.
Custodial history
The collection was in the custody of the Woodstock General Hospital before being transferred to the County of Oxford Archives in 2011-2013.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of the following series and subseries:
Series 1: Hospital Architectural Drawings ([after 1898],1953-1966, 1978)
Series 2: Nursing Alumnae
a) Nursing Programme
- History of Nursing School (1963)
- Programme Booklets ([after 1955] – 1972)
- Photographs ([18- ], [19 - ?], 1930, [196- ?])
- Tests (1962)
- Miscellaneous (1934, nd.)
b) Graduation - Graduation programmes (1935-1974)
- Diplomas (1969, [before 1975])
- Graduation photographs (1913, 1916, 1920-1972, 1986)
- Film (1955-1968)
c) Alumnae - Minutes of the Alumnae Association (1935-1962)
- Alumnae Lists (1897-1966)
- Annual Reunion Invitations (1973, 1975, 1977, 1988)
Series 3: Time Capsules (1954, 1961)
Notes area
Physical condition
The materials in this collection are in good condition.
Immediate source of acquisition
The County of Oxford Archives acquired the fonds from the Woodstock General Hospital in 2011-2013.
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
The fonds is open to public research. However, please contact the archivist responsible for the records regarding access, as some materials may be too fragile to handle. The Archives will make every effort to supply reference copies where feasible.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright is held by the archives. Researchers are responsible for observing copyright regulations that may apply to the publication of their research. If you wish to publish any of this material, please contact the archivist responsible for the records.
The Archivist has the right to restrict reproduction if the material is in a fragile condition.
Finding aids
A detailed finding aid is available. Please contact the Archivist for further information.
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Farthing, John Cragg (Subject)
- Finkle, Ethel M. (Subject)
- Gissing, Frederick J. (Subject)
- Kertland, Douglas, 1886-1982 (Subject)
- Sproatt and Rolph (firm) (Subject)
- Patterson, John D. (Subject)