Weekly Historical Recap: Nursing Services in Annapolis
In the early 20th century, Annapolis, Maryland, witnessed significant disparities in healthcare access for its African American community. Two key institutions, the Annapolis Emergency Hospital and the Parole Health Center, played pivotal roles in addressing these inequities.
The Annapolis Emergency Hospital, established in 1902 at Cathedral and Franklin streets, initially operated out of a private home. It later expanded into a purpose-built facility with wards, operating rooms, and a maternity ward by 1910. Despite its growth, the hospital's services were racially segregated. After the death of Dr. William Bishop, one of the founding physicians who was African American, in 1904, the hospital temporarily stopped accepting Black patients.
Throughout the segregation era, Black patients had limited access to hospital care. The Annapolis Emergency Hospital maintained separate wards and notably did not provide maternity care to Black women, reflecting broader racial discrimination in healthcare access. Emergency services continued until the hospital moved to the Jennifer Road facility in 2001, but the early 20th-century legacy included institutional racial barriers.
Recognising the unmet healthcare needs of the Black community, other efforts emerged. In 1938, the Parole Health Center began as a health service within the Cecil Memorial United Methodist Church, operating one day a week to serve the African American population. By 1949, a purpose-built Parole Health Center opened, symbolising a community-driven solution to healthcare disparities.
Pioneering Black physicians like Dr. Theodore Johnson and the Allen family (Dr. Faye Allen and Dr. Aris T. Allen) played crucial roles. Dr. Johnson opened a clinic with a maternity ward in 1946 on Northwest Street in the Old Fourth Ward. Dr. Faye Allen, through her work with the Anne Arundel County Health Department and private practice alongside her husband, contributed to more equitable healthcare access for Black residents.
The limited access to healthcare for African Americans led communities to rely on local folk remedies and midwives initially. However, the efforts of dedicated Black medical professionals and community members helped alleviate some disparities, although systemic segregation in healthcare institutions defined much of the experience in Annapolis during the first half of the 20th century.
Today, visitors can explore the history of these institutions through various initiatives. A virtual tour of the Crownsville Hospital Campus is available on Google Earth, and storyboards about mental health and treatments at the Crownsville Hospital can be found at the Crownsville Memorial Park. The Historic Annapolis video features the founding of the Annapolis Emergency Hospital, while the Parole Scavenger Hunt includes storyboards about the Parole Community and the Landmark Parole Health Center.
In summary, while the Annapolis Emergency Hospital initially excluded or restricted Black patients, the Parole Health Center and Black physicians like Dr. Theodore Johnson and the Allens provided critical healthcare services to Annapolis's African American community during segregation, marking important milestones in the fight for equitable medical care. The 2025 Historic Summer Bucket List Challenge, available on the ChesapeakeCrossroads.org website, invites families to learn, adventure, and make memories while discovering more about this significant chapter in Annapolis's history.
The Annapolis Emergency Hospital, despite its growth and services, continued to maintain separate wards and did not offer maternity care to Black women, reflecting the racial discrimination in healthcare access during the early 20th century. On the other hand, the Parole Health Center, as a community-driven solution, played a crucial role in addressing medical-conditions and health-and-wellness disparities faced by the African American community in Annapolis.
