The new additions to the gallery were donated by UF College of Nursing
Members of UF Health recently delivered some more memorabilia to the Brewster Nurses Gallery at the headquarters of North Florida Land Trust. UF Health brought over documents from the former Brewster Hospital including time books, a scrapbook that holds articles dating from 1956 to1960, and a plaque from the Jacksonville Historic Landmarks Commission naming the Old Brewster Hospital a National Register Site. The items had been housed at the UF Health Medical Center and are “on loan indefinitely” to the museum. In addition, they received a brick from the original hospital donated by Marcus Drewa.
“We are delighted to see this gallery grow and to have such a rich part of our city’s history in our building,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “Our staff has had a wonderful time working with this group to procure items to display in the gallery and we encourage anyone who has any more items that tell the history of Brewster Hospital to please give us a call.”
The Brewster Nurses Gallery curated by the Brewster Nurses and Community Alumni Association opened in the former Brewster Hospital building on January 20. The building is home to North Florida Land Trust which moved into the building in 2019. The room on the first floor was designated to serve as a memorial to the hospital which was Jacksonville’s first hospital for African Americans and was a training school for nurses. Brewster was built in 1885 and moved to its current location at the corner of Monroe and Davis Streets in 2005.
The Brewster Nurses Gallery features photographs, documents, medical uniforms and medical equipment that showcases the history of Brewster Hospital. Visitors can view the exhibit by appointment Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. except on holidays when the building will be closed. Visitors can call (904) 479-1967 to schedule an appointment.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing quality of life by protecting North Florida’s irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations.