History

The hospital was founded through a 1894 bequest from William F. Sayles, a businessman and philanthropist who owned mills in Saylesville, Rhode Island

Saylesville, Rhode island

-History:The area was settled as a farming community in the 17th century. The historic Eleazer Arnold House is located in the village. The Saylesville Meeting House is one of the oldest surviving Quaker meeting houses in New England and one of the oldest church buildings in Rhode Island. In the...

. Sayles' son, Frank A. Sayles, decided to built the original 30-bed hospital with the funds. Throughout the 20th century the size of the hospital expanded greatly. Today the hospital is a 294-bed facility serving the Blackstone Valley

Blackstone Valley

The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution...

 of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Memorial Hospital is a teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Brown University

Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

. Other smaller facilities are located in Quality Hill, Plainville and Central Falls.