History


The Fairhill Campus has served the Greater Cleveland community for over 78 years. In 1837 the Medical Board of Marine Hospitals designated Cleveland as the site of a hospital to benefit sick seamen, boatmen, and other navigators.

A blueprint from the original Marine Hospital.

A blueprint from the original Marine Hospital.

By 1916, with a capacity of just 85 beds, the hospital’s original location was deemed too small, and Congress took steps toward relocating the hospital to Fairhill.

On June 28, 1930, with a staff of 15 doctors, 42 nurses and 72 attendants, the US Marine Hospital was opened. By 1953, that number decreased significantly, and Congress voted to close the hospital. The Marine Hospital closed on June 30, 1953.

The hospital was reopened as the Fairhill Psychiatric Hospital in 1956. In 1973, the main building was remodeled and a new two-story addition was added to the front of the original structure. In December 1983, Fairhill Psychiatric Hospital closed its doors and the property was unkept for four years. In 1987 the process of developing the Fairhill collaborative campus began.

The land was originally cleared by Otto I. Leisy, president of Cleveland’s Leisy Brewing Company, who built a three story brick mansion on this site in 1905 that included a two story woodframe stable. These stables are still in use at Fairhill and are available for community rentals. Please see Event Rentals for details.

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