Haywood hospital is a former medical center in Maysville, Kentucky. The hospital was built as a replacement for The Wilson Infirmary in 1915. At the start, it was named Haywood seminary which was a private school for girls. It was purchased by Miss Mary Wilson in 1907 who never knew that the city was to be used as a hospital. It was named Wilson hospital although after she moved it was renamed Haywood hospital.

History of Haywood Hospital 

The Wilson infirmary was the first hospital ever in Maysville. The hospital was under the operation of May Peale Wilson from the 1800s to 1908. In 1908, the hospital was closed down after the death of Wilson, and the structure was later demolished. A plan for constructing the Haywood seminary commenced in 1915 to reinstate The Wilson Infirmary. In August 1922, plans for the addition of Haywood seminary were commenced by Ohio architectural firm, Samuel Hannaford and his son who were hired to develop the project. The wooden structure was replaced in 1925 by a large three-story building designed by Samuel Hannaford, and a fourth-story building was added in 1925. The modification was completed in 1923, and the facility's name was changed. The building was later expanded in 1925 and 1971 to accommodate 87 patients. After the Simon Kenton Bridge opened in 1931, the hospital began treating a large portion of the residents of Southeastern Ohio. The US Navy used a portion of the hospital to treat those who had been psychologically traumatized by the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.

The decline of The Haywood Hospital

In the 1980s, Haywood hospital was trying to keep up with the changing world of modern healthcare. The Haywood hospital was structurally destroyed by an earthquake that occurred near Maysville which caused a serious burden to the hospital. Eventually, the hospital was sold to Nashville-based hospital Corporation of America and operated as Maysville hospital from 1981 to 1983. On 9th February 1983, the building was shut down. All the services were moved to the new Meadowview Regional Medical Center South of town. The building was left abandoned and in despair.

The current condition of the Haywood Hospital

There have been several attempts of redevelopment and renovation of the hospital by Presbyterian homes and Ester Johnson but they have failed. This is due to a large amount of cost for demolition and property remediation, For example, the removal and cleanup of the underground fuel tanks and asbestos. The environmental impacts on the steep hillside where the building is situated pose danger to the residents living around the area. Despite the risks, there has not been a solution to curb the problem.