On May 19, 1862, the surgeon general of the U.S. Army authorized Governor of Rhode Island William Sprague IV to "provide suitable accommodations for wounded and sick soldiers".
In December 1862 a company of volunteers, called the Hospital Guards, was raised under the command of Captain Christopher Blanding.
Soldiers who joined the company had to have disabilities or injuries which precluded them from front line service.
[3] An early superintendent of the hospital was Katherine Prescott Wormeley who was a key organizer of the United States Sanitary Commission.
After the Navy greatly reduced its presence in Rhode Island in the 1970s, the site was converted for use by the boating industry.
Major commercial enterprises there include Little Harbor Marine, the Bend Boat Basin and the Melville Grille restaurant.