Before Wills Eye was founded, the care of eye diseases was just one of many general surgical responsibilities. By establishing Wills Eye as a specialty hospital from its inception, we developed momentum early as a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of eye disease and played a vital role in establishing ophthalmology as a separate branch of medicine in the United States.
In 1832, Quaker merchant, James Wills Jr. bequeathed money to the City of Philadelphia for the care of the indigent, blind and lame. The hospital quickly evolved to specialize in eye care only.
The first Wills Eye Hospital, located on the southwest corner of 18th and Race Streets in Philadelphia (opposite what is now Logan Circle), opened on March 3, 1834. The 70-bed facility was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter., a Philadelphian who was considered the dean of American architecture.
In 1839, Wills Eye Hospital established America's first residency program in ophthalmology.
By the early 1900s, Wills Eye had outgrown its original quarters. In 1932 the hospital relocated to a new building at 16th and Spring Garden Streets. The new hospital expanded inpatient bed capacity to 120, increased outpatient service areas, and provided additional conference and teaching facilities.
Wills Eye began to develop subspecialty services for particular diseases or parts of the eye. Today, these services include: Cataract & Primary Eye Care, Contact Lens, Cornea, Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery, Oncology, Pathology, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Ocular Genetics, and Retina.
In 1972, Wills Eye affiliated with Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and serves as Jefferson's Department of Ophthalmology. All Jefferson medical students receive their basic eye instruction and training at Wills Eye. We expanded once again in 1980 to a new facility at 9th and Walnut Streets.
As Wills Eye approached the 21st century, a new, modern facility was constructed at 840 Walnut Street, directly across the street from its prior location. The new building opened in June 2002 and houses a hospital, physician offices, clinics and a state-of-the-art centers for ophthalmic education and research.
Wills Eye opens the William Maul Measey Ophthalmic Surgical Training (MOST) Laboratory. The state-of-the art facility advances ophthalmic microsurgical training with access to the latest technology and techniques that are needed to efficiently and safely learn ophthalmic surgery in an increasingly complex environment.