During the First World War, community sentiment brought about the organization of New London Hospital. Dr. Nathan Griffin, Dr. Charles Lamson, and Dr. Anna Littlefield encouraged a group of local women to found the New London Nursing Association. In this group, Emma Colby, Florence Griffin, and Eliza Robbins were especially active. Jane Tracy made the old “Morgan House” available (now known as Tracy Memorial Library), and the 6-bed hospital opened to the public on October 1, 1918.
In the spring of 1923, the decision was made to erect a completely new building. Fred Pressey of New London offered an attractive site on the upper end of Main Street and, during that summer, a new 12-bed hospital was erected (now known as the Griffin House Condominium Association).
As early as 1946, a study was begun on the possibility of erecting an even larger and more modern building. By that time, New London Hospital had become a regional institution with strong support and patronage from neighboring towns. A gift of 50 acres of land by summer resident Harold Allen to the hospital, along with Hill-Burton funds and a capital campaign, allowed construction of a new building on County Road, which was dedicated in 1958.
New London Hospital 1918-2018: 100 Years of Caring for our Community
As we celebrated our 100th Anniversary in 2018, we were fortunate to release a special book commemorating this milestone, New London Hospital 1918-2018: 100 Years of Caring for our Community, written by Karen Johnson Zurheide.
Hard copies of this book are available to purchase in the Friends Gift Shop in our main lobby.
To continue its efforts to respond to the health care needs of a growing community, New London Hospital received a Certificate of Need in March of 2007 to renovate existing services and to construct a 46,000 square foot addition. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in August of 2007. Main attributes of this "Building Towards the Future" project included the construction of all private patient rooms, the expansion and renovation of Specialty Services, and the construction of a new Medical Office Building to house provider offices, patient examination rooms, leased space for medical tenants and other administrative offices. The project also included the relocation of Pediatrics and Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation services to the main campus. The project was completed in the fall of 2009.
2018 was a special year as New London Hospital celebrated 100 years of service! Throughout the year, the Hospital celebrated its centennial, with the publication of a 100-year history review and presentation of numerous exhibits and events which area community members enjoyed. Thank you for celebrating 100 years of caring for the community, and here’s to 100 more!
Today, New London Hospital is accredited by the State of New Hampshire as a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, providing primary care, emergency, and specialized clinical services to the community it serves, continuing its rich tradition of quality service and caring.