If only the walls of abandoned places could talk, can you imagine the stories they would tell? Pittsburgh, and the surrounding area, lay claim to a fair share of abandoned places. Schools. Churches. A stretch of turnpike. This abandoned hospital near Pittsburgh also has its own story to tell.
The former Brownsville General Hospital sits abandoned less than an hour from downtown Pittsburgh.
Construction on the hospital began in 1908, in an attempt to fill a desperate need in the Brownsville community.
Until that point, residents had to travel more than 30 miles to McKeesport or another town for hospital care.
Travel in those days primarily consisted of taking a train or a boat, which meant a seriously sick individual faced a potentially rough journey to the hospital.
The community held fundraisers to help build the hospital. Although construction did not end until 1916, the hospital began admitting patients two years before that.
Brownsville General Hospital began a growth spurt. It added a surgical unit and a nurse's home. An additional third floor was built in the early 1940's.
All that growth left the hospital in quite a predicament by the early 1960's. The hospital found itself at near capacity.
A new hospital opened in 1965. The old Brownsville Hospital found a new owner and reopened as the Golden Age Nursing Home.
Stories of abuse and neglect of residents plagued the Golden Age Nursing Home, spurring a federal investigation in the early 1980's.
The Golden Age Nursing Home permanently shut down in 1985.
Do you remember this abandoned hospital near Pittsburgh when it was open? Share your memories below! Click here to read about other abandoned spots in and near Pittsburgh.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
