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Heinz Division
 Between 1903 and 1909, Robert and Francis Hall purchased several parcels of the former estate of James Ross, an attorney, US Senator, and Pittsburgher, including his Georgian style mansion, "The Meadows." Robert Hall was the founder of the Duquesne Light Company. It is believed that the Hall estate was the setting for a 1908 murder mystery, "The Circular Staircase," written by a relative of the Halls, Mary Roberts Rinehart.
Following Mr. Hall's death, his family experienced financial difficulties and a Pittsburgh bank purchased the estate at a sheriff's sale in 1918.
Eighteen million dollars had been appropriated for soldiers' hospitals and a special committee of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce campaigned for a hospital to be built near the city.
Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon recommended a
 portion of land bounded by the Delafield brick road, Squaw Run Creek, Pittsburgh's water filtration plant, and the Aspinwall-Delafield Plan of lots, formerly a part of the Hall estate. He sent a recommendation letter to the president in August 1922 and on July 4, 1923, it was announced that the US Government would build a tuberculosis hospital near Pittsburgh. That month the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved the purchase of 147 and a half acres of land recommended by Andrew Mellon for $125,000.
The Beginning
In the summer of 1924 construction of the veterans' tuberculosis hospital was begun. Work was completed the following year at a cost of slightly over one million dollars.
 A dedication ceremony was held on Saturday, July 25, 1925, under the direction of the American Legion. The thirteen building complex consisted of a 226-bed infirmary, ambulance building, garage, laundry, storage, attendants' quarters, nurses' residence, officers' quarters, and officer in charge quarters. The facility was considered the most modern and best equipped of government hospitals. The first patient was admitted on October 12, 1925, under the direction of Dr. Henry Rolf Brown.
The Early Years
Aspinwall soon underwent more construction. Bed capacity was raised to 505 in 1934 and in 1936 it was converted to a general medical and surgical hospital, with some beds remaining for tuberculosis patients. The following year, the Pittsburgh Regional Office was combined with the Aspinwall facility, where it remained until relocation to the Fulton Building in downtown Pittsburgh in 1944.
In 1941 the first Allergy Clinic was established at the Aspinwall Hospital, manufacturing Allergens for all VA field stations in the United States.
Responding to the growing numbers of aged Spanish-American War and World War I veterans, bed capacity at Aspinwall was raised to 760 at the beginning of 1940. In 1947 an urgent need of beds for World War II veterans raised bed capacity to 943. However, by squeezing beds into hallways, recreation rooms, and kitchens, the patient population was over 1100. Patients were admitted and discharged at the rate of 500 per month. Aspinwall now had over 30 permanent buildings and 12 temporary buildings.
Evolution into a Modern Long-Term Care Facility
When the Oakland Division opened in 1954,general medical and surgical services were
transferred there.
A decade long decline in patients reduced Aspinwall to a ghost of its former self.
The patient census shrunk to as low as 40 and the hospital was scheduled for closure.
In 1964 the Veterans Administration responded to the changing health care needs of the aging
veteran population by beginning a nursing home initiative. Aspinwall responded to a new challenge
- the long term care of the elderly patient. In June 1966 Aspinwall unveiled a new,
$110,000 70-bed nursing care unit.
A New Hospital
Conceptual planning for a new facility began in 1981. In 1987, Congress and the VA approved the funding to begin the project in three phases. Phase I began in 1988 when the older of two water towers and the research building were demolished. In 1989 extensive excavation was completed for utility lines and steam tunnels to support a new boiler and air conditioner plant. The old boiler and smokestack were then demolished. The amphitheatre was filled in to ground level to provide additional parking and easier access to the hospital. A warehouse was constructed on what had been the softball field.
 Phase II began in the Spring of 1991 with the construction of the state-of-the-art Aspinwall Replacement Facility. Several buildings were demolished, including vacant nurses' quarters, storage buildings, garages, and the generator building. Phase III was the demolition of the old hospital.
The construction of the replacement hospital cost $68 million with an additional equipment acquisition cost of $10 million. The design of the facility was innovative, with two special purpose buildings integrated into a complete long-term care center. The replacement facility was dedicated on Friday, October 15, 1993, under the direction of Director, Thomas A. Gigliotti. Patients were moved to the new hospital on Saturday, November 5, 1994.
 On Monday, March 22, 1999, a dedication ceremony was held to rename the Aspinwall VA the H. John Heinz III Progressive Care Center, after the late U.S. Senator John Heinz. Without the efforts of Senator Heinz the new hospital would not exist. Sadly, Senator Heinz died in a plane crash on April 4, 1991, before he could see the completion of this great facility. His wife, Teresa, spoke at the ceremony.
Later that year, on May 15, 1999, a new outdoor pavilion was dedicated in a formal ceremony to recognize the efforts of all veterans who have served to protect the freedom we all enjoy. The
 Mason's Pavilion was a $720,000 gift from the Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania. The 64x40 foot covered pavilion will accommodate 160 people and has a fully equipped kitchen and handicapped accessible restrooms in addition to walking paths and gardens, a fountain and reflecting pool, a granite veterans memorial monument, permanent benches, safety precautions for patients, and more. The facility provides a quaint setting for outdoor recreational activities, cookouts and parties for patients.
Today the Heinz Division is a 336-bed Geriatric Center of Excellence, including a Dementia Unit, hospice care, palliative care and primary care. The administration offices of VISN 4 are also located on the grounds of the Heinz Division.
Read the interesting history of the
Highland
Drive and University
Drive divisions that together with the H. John Heinz III Progressive Care
Center make up the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
Click
here to view, Traditions of Caring - History of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare
System 1925 - 2003 (PDF file). This publication requires Acrobat®
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