Map of Crile Veterans’ Administration Hospital

Ephemeral brochure of the newly re-organized Crile Veterans’ Administration Hospital outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

This pleasant bird’s eye view shows the grounds of the Crile Veterans’ Administration Hospital shortly after the former Crile General Hospital was transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The ‘temporary’ facility was constructed in 1944 and eventually grew into an entire military city that nursed wounded patients and oversaw German POWs.

Small vignettes highlight patient amenities and recreational opportunities, while the verso shows a transportation map of the region and presents a welcome letter from the facility manager. According to the Cleveland Historical Society;

“With the end of WWII, Crile General Hospital became Crile Veterans Hospital in June 1946. Crile General Hospital had treated and healed over 15,000 patients by this time. The capacity of Crile was reduced to 1,000 beds, but was reorganized for clinical study and teaching. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and corrective therapy were additional aspects of the Veterans Hospital’s program.

The Crile Hospital in Parma closed in 1964, relocating to a new facility in University Circle (now the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center). In the Fall of 1966, however, life was again back in its empty ward and hallways as Cuyahoga Community College’s newly-created Western Campus enrolled 3,000 students. In 1975, the barracks were torn down and a new campus rose on the site of the old hospital to meet the community’s expanding educational needs.”

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