Maternity Hospital

Maternity Hospital, also known as Ripley Memorial Hospital and currently known as Ripley Gardens, is a former hospital building in the Harrison neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The hospital was established by Dr. Martha Ripley in 1886 in response to the exceptionally high mortality rates for women in childbirth. Dr. Ripley was one of only a few female physicians in the late 19th century, and she employed only women as physicians and board members. The hospital provided services for primarily poor, unmarried, and widowed women. The hospital was originally located in a house at 316 15th Street South, but it quickly outgrew that house and moved to 2529 4th Avenue South. Demand continued to grow, so in 1896 the hospital purchased a...