Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children

The Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children is a historic medical complex in Milton, West Virginia.

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The Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children is a historic medical complex in Milton, West Virginia. Constructed in phases between 1936 and 1941 with assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the hospital was established to treat children afflicted with polio and other disabling conditions. The site is currently undergoing redevelopment.

History

The idea for a hospital dedicated to disabled children in western West Virginia originated with local farmer Walter T. Morris after his great-nephew, John Morris, suffered from osteomyelitis. ¹ Following John’s treatment under Dr. Shade Jones, director of the Huntington Orthopedic Hospital, Morris deeded his farm outside Milton in 1930 for the construction of a specialized care facility. ³ The Huntington Orthopedic Hospital subsequently established the Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children, initially operating out of Morris’s residence until the space proved inadequate. ¹

To qualify for federal construction funding, the hospital grounds were deeded to the town of Milton on August 27, 1935. ¹ Milton’s mayor, Albert Field, successfully secured WPA assistance, and the city leased the property back to the hospital on September 29, 1936. ^{1 4} The architectural firm Frampton & Bowers of Huntington—designers of the Huntington Orthopedic Hospital—was selected to design the new complex. ¹

Construction formally began after a cornerstone-laying ceremony on July 5, 1936, led by a local Masonic fraternity and Grand Master Wilson U.S. White. ^{2 4} Work first focused on the two-story central administration building. The hospital’s distinctive “Y”-shaped wings were added beginning in 1937, followed by construction of the boiler house in 1938 and the incinerator in 1940. ¹

The completed hospital featured a cut limestone exterior, a central two-story block topped by a domed, louvered cupola, and a two-story portico. ¹ One-and-a-half-story “Y”-shaped wings extended from the main structure. Patient rooms originally opened onto an exterior concrete terrace via narrow metal casement doors. The facility included five wards—two male, two female, and one isolation ward—as well as 32 private rooms. Two additional wards were planned but never built.

The east wing housed specialized medical and therapy spaces, including a therapy room with weights and a whirlpool, brine pools, a spring-fed pool, x-ray facilities, operating rooms, and a laboratory. ¹ A “T”-shaped extension contained a two-room school and a library of approximately 2,000 volumes.

Morris Memorial Hospital operated largely as a self-sufficient entity. ¹ In addition to the medical buildings, the property included a dairy barn supporting up to 30 cows, 85 acres of pastureland, and a 25-acre orchard and garden. Surplus agricultural products were sold to generate income. ⁵

Closure and Reuse

The hospital treated thousands of children suffering from polio, but patient numbers declined sharply after the introduction of the polio vaccine in 1955. ⁶ In 1960, after serving nearly 10,000 patients, the facility closed as a children’s hospital. The following year, the City of Milton leased the property to John and Rose Greene, who reopened it as the Morris Memorial Nursing Home. ¹

The nursing home ceased operations in February 2009, citing declining patient numbers, rising energy costs, and long-deferred maintenance. ⁷

In subsequent years, the City of Milton partnered with developer Jeff Hoops to redevelop the property as the Grand Patrician Resort & Spa. ⁸ Initial plans called for a 100-room hotel with extended-stay suites and extensive amenities, including pools, event spaces, recreational facilities, medical and rehabilitation services, equestrian facilities, and residential development spread over 189 acres. These plans were later revised to include a 50-unit retirement facility within the former hospital building, relocation of major hotel and conference amenities elsewhere on the property, and the construction of 80 condominiums, 26 duplexes, and 22 single-family homes across the 189-acre site. ^{9 10}

Light demolition and asbestos abatement began in May 2018, ⁹ with construction commencing later that year. ⁸ Progress was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and delays related to approval of a new four-lane access road and interchange with Interstate 64. ¹¹

By September 2022, approximately $25.7 million had been invested in the project’s first phase, which included new infrastructure, recreational amenities, hotel and conference facilities, and residential construction. ¹¹ A second phase is planned to add a large indoor coliseum and additional hotel accommodations.

The golf course opened on May 10, 2023. ¹⁴ The hotel was scheduled for a soft opening in May 2025, followed by a grand opening in late June. ^{12 13}

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Gallery

Redevelopment

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Further Reading

1. Grand Patrician Resort & Spa

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Sources

1. United States. Dept. of the Interior. Morris Memorial Home for Crippled Children. Comp. Jean Boger. Washington: National Park Service, Dec. 2012. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. Article.
2. Cornerstone.
3. Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children, Milton, West Virginia. Unpublished pamphlet, 1945. Print.
4. Murphy, Charles B. History of Milton, 1876-1976. Berkeley Printing (Milton, W.Va.), 1975. Print.
5. Huffstutler, Barry. “Morris Memorial Hospital.” Doors to the Past. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. Article.
6. Dudley, Caldwell. History of Milton Community. West Virginia University Agricultural Extension Division, 1960. Print.
7. Hardiman, Jean Tarbett. “Morris Memorial to Close, City of Milton Seeks Ideas for Property.” Herald-Dispatch 7 Feb. 2009. Web.
8. Hammonds, Dalton and Chad Hedrick. “Multi-million dollar hotel project in Milton to get underway in late October.” WSAZ, 12 Oct. 2017.
9. Pace, Fred. “Site work underway at former hospital in Milton.” Herald-Dispatch, 15 May 2018.
10. Stuck, Taylor. “Grand Patrician Resort in Milton continues to grow.” Herald-Dispatch [Huntington], 1 Nov. 2019.
11. Horsley, McKenna. “Cabell County Commission hears update on Milton resort project.” Herald-Dispatch [Huntington], 25 Sept. 2022.
12. Hamilton, Luke. “Neighbors react to Grand Patrician Resort partnership, new additions.” WSAZ-3, 19 Mar. 2025.
13. Dingess, Destiney. “Coming soon: Opening timeline set for Grand Patrician Resort in Milton.” Charleston Gazette-Mail, 14 Dec. 2024.
14. “Photos: Grand Patrician Resort Golf Course grand opening.” Webster Echo, 10 May 2023.