Category:Allentown Osteopathic Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Allentown Osteopathic Hospital was located at 1736-1746 Hamilton Street. It was located in two large homes that once belonged to leading families in Allentown. The Hospital merged with St Lukes Hospital in 1997 and was absorbed into St Lukes as the Allentown Campus.

The Allentown Osteopathic Hospital began in the summer of 1943 when the former home of Hess Brothers department store partner William T. Harris and his wife, Dorothy, at 1746 Hamilton Street was purchased for $60,000 by a group of .prominent citizens and physicians. The house had been designed by Allentown architects Ruhe and Lange, who used a wing of an English Tudor castle, Hatfield House in Hartfordshire, as a model. The home had a staircase of imported wood. Its roof was made of tiles from Spain. The home was built in 1914 for Charles Hess, brother of Max Hess Sr. and founding partner in Hess Brothers. Harris bought the house after Charles Hess' death in 1929.

The Hospital received its charter in May 1944 and the building was renovated to convert it from a residence into a hospital. The hospital had its formal opening on 8 September 1945. It's initial accommodation was for 26 adults, child patients and six infants.

In 1950 the facility was expanded to accommodate 40 patients, and in 1952 the hospital was expanded with a $50,000 addition. In May 1952, the home of Walter S. Bastian and his wife, Alma, at 1736 Hamilton was purchased by the hospital The home was built in 1914 for Morris Bastian, who, with Wilson Arbogast, founded the local meat-packing business Arbogast & Bastian. Morris Bastian died in 1933. Walter, Morris' son, was chairman of the board of A&B; at his death in 1962. The addition of the Bastian property increased the hospital's capacity to 75 medical and surgical beds and 10 bassinets.

In 1961, another addition was funded that was completed in 1963 that expanded the hospital to 125 beds. Also in 1962, the Osteopathic Hospital purchased the former Haff Hospital in Northampton. It operated as a 48 bed branch of the facility providing medical and surgical services to Northampton.

On January 1 1997, Allentown Osteopathic Hospital merged with St. Luke's Hospital. The merger was caused by the relatively small size of the hospital and the increased competition for patients and medical service contracts. The name was changed in June 1997 to St Luke's Hospital Allentown Campus, effectively ending its existence.

The entire Allentown Campus complex was reconstructed in the early 2000s. The former Temple Beth El, at the southwest corner of 17th and Hamilton Street was acquired and the hospital was expanded to the entire block. Today, the buildings of the former Allentown Osteopathic Hospital are unrecognizable