SHELDON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - Historical Albion Michigan

A landmark in Albion that now sits virtually empty is the James W. Sheldon Memorial Hospital, located in the 800 block of S. Superior Street. Originally erected in the early 1920s, the hospital closed at the end of 1967 when the Albion Community Hospital opened. It was then utilized for ten more years as “Sheldon Manor,” a long-term care facility. During the 1980s it served as offices for various physicians, but now sits “functionally obsolete,” and costing the City of Albion annual maintenance costs.

In its heyday however, Sheldon Memorial Hospital was buzzing with activity. Named in memory of Albion’s famous 19th century banker, James W. Sheldon, the hospital was operated with not only city funds, but with community support as well. Numerous clubs and organizations held fundraisers to purchase various types of equipment through the years. During the post-World War II population boom, a rear addition was erected to handle the increased capacity in 1952 at a cost of $500,000.

When the hospital opened on May 1, 1924, patients not only saw the very latest medical equipment, but another modern invention: “Pay radio.” Patients were required to place tokens in coin-operated radios to listen to their favorite music. Small zinc tokens bearing the name “Sheldon Memorial Hospital” were minted, and were sold to patients for a fee. Later of course, television was invented, and they had “Pay television.”

As we drive daily past the old Sheldon Memorial Hospital, it is sad to see the building sit empty, awaiting an unknown fate. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a postcard from many years ago showing the front of the James W. Sheldon Memorial Hospital.

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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