Culver Union Hospital

Text

In the second half of the 19th century, an organization of women in Montgomery County displayed a strong focus on bettering their community and helping those in need, mirroring a national trend. With virtuous intentions, the Women’s Union in Crawfordsville, Indiana began raising funds for a new hospital in 1897, and, with help from other women, doctors, and local citizens, the L. L. Culver Union Hospital was opened in 1902.

Upon it’s opening, every doctor in Montgomery County was on the staff of the hospital. The hospital quickly outgrew its space, but expansion was delayed because of WWI. With a continued need for more space and a more modern facility, the L. L Culver Union Hospital was transferred over to the county in 1929. A new facility was added and the L. L Culver Union Hospital became the Montgomery County Culver Union Hospital, considered to be completely updated and modern. In 1966, further additions were made to the hospital, and upgrading continued in 1971 and 1977.

By the early 1980s, new technology and medical procedures generated the need for an entirely new facility. As a result, Culver Union Hospital was sold to a for-profit hospital corporation and a new hospital replaced it, which opened in 1984. By 1988, Culver Union Hospital ceased operating because of a lack of funding and it was completely vacated by 1997. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The building now plays host to Historic Whitlock Place Apartments.