Dr. Susan Picotte Memorial Hospital
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Front of the hospital
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Location | 505 Matthewson St., Walthill, Nebraska |
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Coordinates | 42°9′6″N 96°29′41″W / 42.15167°N 96.49472°WCoordinates: 42°9′6″N 96°29′41″W / 42.15167°N 96.49472°W |
Built | 1912 |
Architect | William L. Steele |
Architectural style | Craftsman |
NRHP Reference # | 88002762 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | December 16, 1988 |
Designated NHL | April 19, 1993 |
Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital, also known as Walthill Hospital or Dr. Susan Picotte Memorial Hospital, is a hospital in Walthill, Nebraska, on the Omaha Indian Reservation.
The hospital was developed by Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte (1865–1915), the first female Native American medical doctor. Built with money raised by Picotte from various sources, it was the first hospital for any Indian reservation not funded by government money.
The building was designed by architect William L. Steele in 1912 and built in 1912–1913. Set on a concrete foundation on a hill overlooking Walthill, the one-and-one-half-story hospital was built in the American Craftsman style of architecture. Typical of Craftsman style, it features a low-pitched, shingled (originally wood-shingled) roof, wide eaves with large braces beneath, exposed roof rafter tails, and a centered gabled dormer. A prominent screened porch runs the entire length of the front (east side) of the structure, bounded by columns that support the roof.
The building was a working hospital until the late 1940s, after which it served a variety of functions since, including a museum. As of 2013, it housed Mi'Jhu'Wi Ministries, a nonprofit providing services to the people of the Omaha Reservation.
The hospital was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993.