CHASE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
HISTORY

(Compiled by New Berlin Town Historian Barbara B. Avery)

According to Floyd Wilbur, (vol 111, "Early Glimpses of New Berlin and Related Areas Nearby"), the building was constructed by Sylvester Walker, a hatter by trade. He came to New Berlin about 1817. He bought the lot at #34 North Main Street and built a hat shop. (He may have purchased this lot from John Williams, who at one time, owned this land.) He carried on the hatter business for several years, finally sold out and moved west. (According to the Federal Census records, Sylvester Walker is living in New Berlin in 1820 but is gone by 1830.)

Attorney Henry Bennett lived here, as did Ira T. Butterfield. By 1920 (from the Federal Census), Ira's son, George H. Butterfield and his wife, Maude own the building. Maude Butterfield sold the building which then became the hospital.

N4iss Minnie Chase bequeathed to New Berlin funds for a hospital to be bought or built and chose the committee which made the purchase of the Butterfield home in 1935. This committee supervised the work to adapt the home and meet the requirements of a fifteen bed hospital .

In April, 1936, the building opened as the "Minnie M. Chase Memorial Hospital."

Mrs. Kenton Robinson of South New Berlin was the first patient. Her newborn daughter, Ruth Robinson became the second patient on April 6, 1936. Mrs. Berger Benson was the first medical patient, entering the hospital on April 7, 1936.

Since that time, 3718 babies were born here, with the last one in October, 1964 and more than 12,000 patients cared for in this hospital.