London's first hospital was housed in a log cabin on the military barracks at Victoria Park, constructed in 1838.

The site of the London General Hospital, located on Ottoway Avenue (now South Street), was dedicated in 1874.

[4]: 53 As Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee passed in 1897, the English monarch requested that all memorials of the event be dedicated to humanitarian purposes.

The Queen's request and popularity presented an opportunity for the city to justify the cost of expanding the hospital.

In June 1898, after an election and much debate, City Council approved construction of a new 140-bed facility on the same site, at a cost of $70,000, with a plan to convert the existing hospital to a nurses' residence.