Ballroom & Civil War Hospital

During the Civil War, the Visitation Academy of Frederick—now the Visitation Hotel—was used as General Hospital No. 5 following the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. As Frederick filled with wounded soldiers, the Academy was one of several buildings converted into temporary hospitals. Union soldiers were treated in its classrooms and monastery spaces, chosen for their light and ventilation. The Sisters of Charity returned from Emmitsburg to care for the wounded, working tirelessly alongside students who continued their studies onsite. Remarkably, about 90% of the patients survived under their care.