Frank Erdman Boston, MD (1890-1960), an African American physician, founded the Elm Terrace Hospital here in 1934. It moved across the street at some point. It changed its name to North Penn Hospital in 1954, and at some point moved a short distance away and is now Abington-Lansdale Hospital. Dr. Boston also saw a need and founded the First Aid Emergency Squad, which is now called the Volunteer Medical Services Corps of Lansdale. There is a sculpture of him by S.K. Miller at the corner of 7th and Broad Streets here. The sculpture was created in response to the hospital refusing to hang his portrait on its premises, presumably because of racism against Blacks. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjXGAcw_4AQ&list=PLUNg59MF7yAZ-0fy7nZ8gTv6Ozo_QovXf&index=4; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Erdman_Boston; and the North Penn School Board Newsletter of February 2021, letter of Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell.
Publication date | Feb 24, 2021 |
Frank Erdman Boston, MD (1890-1960), an African American physician, founded the Elm Terrace Hospital here in 1934. It moved across the street at some point. It changed its name to North Penn Hospital in 1954, and at some point moved a short distance away and is now Abington-Lansdale Hospital. Dr. Boston also saw a need and founded the First Aid Emergency Squad, which is now called the Volunteer Medical Services Corps of Lansdale. There is a sculpture of him by S.K. Miller at the corner of 7th and Broad Streets here. The sculpture was created in response to the hospital refusing to hang his portrait on its premises, presumably because of racism against Blacks. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjXGAcw_4AQ&list=PLUNg59MF7yAZ-0fy7nZ8gTv6Ozo_QovXf&index=4; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Erdman_Boston; and the North Penn School Board Newsletter of February 2021, letter of Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell.