The hospital was established by Dr. Martha Ripley in 1886 in response to the exceptionally high mortality rates for women in childbirth.

The hospital provided services for primarily poor, unmarried, and widowed women.

Demand continued to grow, so in 1896 the hospital purchased a house on 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land at the corner of Glenwood and Penn Avenues.

[3] The hospital built the Marshall Stacy Nursery in 1909, followed by the Babies' Bungalow in 1910 and the Emily Paddock Cottage in 1911.

The hospital served the community until 1957, when it was closed due to low occupancy and funding problems.