Detroit Osteopathic Hospital

Detroit Osteopathic Hospital History

Using funds donated by a Mr. Philip Gray in 1919, the Detroit Osteopathic Hospital had its humble beginnings in a converted house with 38 beds. Here, osteopathic principles were used to treat patients; these core values focus on the body's ability to heal and rational treatment based on body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

The facility was located in Highland Park, which prospered and grew from the automotive industry much like the surrounding city of Detroit. An expansion was needed by the 1930s, and a two-story building was erected in 1937 which provided the hospital with a total of 100 beds. Known as the Philip Gray Memorial Unit, it was named after the original founder and contained modern amenities such as an operating room and x-ray units. The hospital continued to grow and expand even after construction of the unit; seven expansions were undertaken from 1943 to 1955, including an eight story tower which replaced the original homes and increased the capacity to 220 beds.

The facility was the second largest employer in the city during the 1980s, however it began to lose money in 1991. The Detroit-Macomb Hospital Corporation purchased the failing hospital for $1.2 million, mainly to acquire its doctors and their patients. The osteopathic hospital officially closed its doors in December of 1992, however offices and a small health clinic were still operational. The rest of the facility remained vacant and the equipment was auctioned off.

In 2004, part of the facility re-opened as the Business Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology Academy (AKA The BEST Academy), and three floors were renovated for occupation. Although plans were made to rehab the rest of the hospital, they never came to fruition. The vacant parts of the hospital were left forgotten about and subject to scrappers and vandals; the BEST Academy was even closed for days in 2007 when the telephone wires were cut in the tunnels by copper thieves. The academy eventually closed in 2012 due to negative feedback, leaving the entire facility abandoned.

Thanks to detroiturbex.com for much of the historical information and photos.