History
1911. Mary Chiles General Hospital had its modest beginnings in the old Mission House of the Disciples on Azcarraga St., (now Claro M. Recto) in 1911, a few years after the Spanish-American War. It was during the height of the bubonic plague in Manila that a boarder in a house where several American missionaries were living was stricken with the disease. An American missionary named Dr. W. N. Lemmon saw the need and benefit of a hospital and established a small clinic with a capacity of four beds. Thousands died during the epidemic. As more people sought the services of the hospital, it soon became apparent that expansion was inevitable. He brought this to the attention of an old friend, Miss Mary Jane Chiles of Independence, Missouri. Miss Chiles, a “devoted disciple”, donated a substantial amount for the project. A historic building in Gastambide where Dr. Jose Rizal used to have meetings with his friends was purchased.