Brackenridge Hospital: A Historical Marker in Austin
historical marker
The historical marker for Brackenridge Hospital was erected in Austin, Travis County, Texas, in 1984 by the Texas Historical Commission. This marker commemorates the site of what was the oldest public hospital in Texas. The hospital first opened on July 3, 1884, as the City/County Hospital. It was built on a block in northeast Austin, which city planner Edwin Waller had designated for a hospital in 1839. Initially, it was a two-story stone building with a capacity for twenty patients. The City of Austin and Travis County jointly owned it until 1907, when the city assumed sole ownership. In 1929, the hospital was renamed Brackenridge Hospital, honoring Dr. Robert John Brackenridge. Dr. Brackenridge was a retired physician who served as chairman of the hospital board and advocated for improved medical care in Austin. Over its history, Brackenridge Hospital was a site of medical innovation. It hosted Austin's first intracranial surgery in 1948 and its first open-heart surgery in 1961. The hospital also established the city's first intensive-care unit in 1960 and its first cardiac-care unit in 1971. Brackenridge Hospital closed on May 21, 2017, with its services transferring to the new Dell Seton Medical Center. The hospital's original 1970s concrete building was demolished in 2019. This site remains historically significant for its long service to public health in Austin.