Washington Medical College

Baltimore, Maryland, United States · Est. 1827

About

Official

A defunct Baltimore medical school founded in 1827, later revived and merged into the University of Maryland.

  • Founded in 1827 in Baltimore, Maryland as a medical school
  • Chartered by Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in Pennsylvania
  • Closed in 1851 due to declining enrollment and management issues
  • Revived in 1867 as Washington University of Baltimore after the Civil War
  • Disbanded in 1878 and merged into the College of Physicians and Surgeons, eventually absorbed by University of Maryland School of Medicine
  • Notable founder: Dr. Horatio Gates Jameson, celebrated surgeon and 1813 graduate of University of Maryland Medical School

History & Founding

Washington Medical College was established in 1827 by Dr. Horatio Gates Jameson and a group of Baltimore physicians who sought to create a second medical school in the city. Initially chartered by Washington College in Pennsylvania (one of only two such out-of-state charters at the time), the school was formally incorporated by the Maryland General Assembly in March 1833. Located on Holliday Street near City Hall, the institution grew rapidly in its early years but declined sharply after Jameson's departure to Cincinnati in 1835, with enrollment falling to just 15 students by 1838. The school collapsed in 1851.

Revival & Later Years

Following the American Civil War, Dr. Edward Warren, a Confederate veteran, refounded the institution in 1867 as Washington University of Baltimore, relocating to the northwest corner of North Calvert and East Saratoga Streets. The revived school explicitly served students from former slave states and established the Maryland Free Hospital. However, financial difficulties mounted, requiring state appropriation by 1872. The institution closed in 1878 and was merged into the College of Physicians and Surgeons, whose remains were later absorbed into the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Academic Legacy

The college offered medical education and, during its later incarnation, authorized the creation of schools in Law, Divinity, and Arts & Sciences, though these were never developed. Student theses from the institution are preserved at the National Library of Medicine, providing historical documentation of medical education in 19th-century Baltimore.

Founded
1827
Courses
1
Total intake
Not yet verified
HousingNot available
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Courses offered
1
Avg career outcomes
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Total intake
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Housing
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Data last verified June 2026 · compiled from official sources