The North Shore Babies’ Hospital began in response to the cholera (a bacterial disease spread by water) epidemic of the early 20th century. Beginning in 1904, the Babies Summer Hospital Society operated out of cottages on Bakers Island in Salem, Massachusetts. Each summer, more than 160 children were transported by boat to be treated by nurses and exposed to fresh, clean air. A cow was also sent to Bakers Island to provide fresh milk for the infants.
After years of fundraising, the hospital relocated to the former estate of Charles A. Ropes at 75 Dearborn Street, opening in June 1910. The estate offered thirteen rooms and was a fixture at the end of Dearborn Street, an area still known as Ropes’ Point.
In 1926, the hospital transitioned to offering year-round care for the area’s infants. It continued to operate on Dearborn Street until the early 1960s, when it became part of Salem Hospital. In 1972, the Ropes estate was destroyed by fire.
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