*The Georgia Infirmary was chartered on Christmas Eve, 1832.
Located in Savannah, GA, this was the first hospital for Blacks in America. A few weeks later, on Jan. 15, 1833, Richard F. Williams, president, presided over the hospital's first organizational meeting. The hospital was established to " relieve and protect aged and afflicted Negroes."
In 1864, during the American Civil War, the infirmary closed its doors, and the buildings were destroyed. In 1871, after the war, the hospital was rebuilt with the help of funds from Savannah and the Louisa M. Porter Aid Society. By the end of its first year, the hospital showed a balance of 56.82 dollars. This was a small sum but a hopeful sign.
Today (over 189 years later), the fully integrated infirmary is an outpatient service called the Georgia Infirmary Day Center for Rehabilitation.
