The Bowman Tiles at Chester County Hospital
by Paul Rodebaugh
THOSE CHESTER COUNTY DAY GUESTS who have the opportunity to visit the Hospital may have noticed a series of seventeen tiles which have been placed at the switchboard area at the east entrance to the building. These tiles were rescued from the original hospital building located across from Marshall Square on the north side of Marshall Street, just before that building was torn down. A friend of Dr. Edgar Lawrence remembered the tiles and mentioned them to Jean Oakes and Dr. Lawrence while having dinner in Rome. Dr. Lawrence received permission to remove them and made walnut frames for the tiles and they were placed in the current hospital building in 1967. They were on display for Chester County Day that year.
Sarah R. Bowman, an artist who had moved from Philadelphia and lived at the northwest corner of Darlington and Chestnut, made these tiles and presented them to the hospital in 1894. All seventeen represent those active in the medical profession. The majority are local physicians but several nationally known doctors are represented. The tiles contain pen and ink portraits complete with the names of those portrayed. No titles are given, as it was thought that they would be recognized as prominent in the medical profession.
Among the national figures are Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) Boston physician and man of letters. Samuel Davis Gross (1805-1884) is remembered as a surgeon and was portrayed by Thomas Eakins in his famous painting, “The Gross Clinic.” S. Weir Mitchell (1829-1914) whose summer home “Rusculver” was located on Birmingham Road near Strode’s Mill had a national as well as a local fame.
Dr. William Darlington (1782-1863) the noted botanist and Dr. Wilmer Worthington (1804-1873) both were West Chester residents and fellow workers in all good projects for the borough. Also represented are Dr. William Goodell, Jr. (1829-1894) and Dr. George Martin (1826-1886) also borough physicians.
Joseph Trimble Rothrock (1839-1933), civil war veteran, botanist and founder of the Pennsylvania Forestry Commission was among Miss Bowman’s selections. Rothrock was the youngest physician in the group.
Two men from the colonial era were represented. John Cochran (17301807) who served as surgeon-general of the revolutionary army and Hugh Williamson (1735-1819) a Chester County native and a signer of the American Constitution from North Carolina. Both were physicians and John Cochran practiced in Chester County after the Revolutionary War.
Southern Chester County is well represented with the tiles of three physicians. Ann Preston (1813-1872) was the first female doctor in Pennsylvania. She was born at West Grove and trained at the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia and taught at that institution for twenty years. David Hayes Agnew (1818-1892) was born in Lancaster County and taught in Philadelphia. Ezra Michener (1794-1887) who was born near London Grove lived at Sylvania near Avondale and wrote on natural history, medical and religious topics.
Two other West Chester residents, Isaac Thomas (1797-1879) who lived at Liberty Grove on Gay Street in the borough and who was involved with Darlington and Worthington in many of the scientific groups and William Dell Hartman (1817-1899) who wrote a volume on the shells of Chester County with Ezra Michener end the list of local physicians. The final two tiles depict Joseph Leidy (1823-1891) a Philadelphia naturalist and president of the Cabinet of Natural Science 1881-1891 and Susan Hayhurst (1834-?) also of Philadelphia. Susan was the first female druggist.
Sarah Bowman passed away on May 14, 1911. She is buried at the Friends Burial Ground on Rosedale Avenue in West Goshen. We are fortunate that Jean Oakes and Dr. Edgar Lawrence were able to rescue these tiles and relocate them in the new Hospital building.
This article is reprinted in memoriam of Mr. Rodebaugh’s passing. Mr. Rodebaugh was a retired history teacher, book collector, and noted Chester County historian from West Chester.