Morgan Memorial Hospital

The Morgan County Hospital Authority was established by the Morgan County Board of Commissioners in 1957. A new hospital was built in Morgan County, Georgia, after five years without one. Morgan Memorial Hospital opened its doors on New Year’s Day 1960. The 26-bed institution was made possible by federal-local participation under the Hill-Burton Act. The Morgan Memorial Hospital was the first critical access hospital in Georgia to be certified as a Level IV trauma center.

Morgan Memorial Hospital’s facilities became obsolete for many medical purposes, and construction on a new building began around 2015. By 2018, most hospital operations had been relocated to the newly named Morgan Medical Center. In December 2018, 19 patients were relocated to Morgan Medical Center, and the old hospital was permanently closed. When COVID-19 was in full swing, the county continued to maintain the hospital for $100,000 annually and could have the hospital reopened within a few days if necessary.

In January 2024, the old Morgan Memorial Hospital was used for filming of Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things’ final season. During filming days, a prominent sign outside the old hospital read “Hawkins Memorial Hospital.” The sign was posted next to the old hospital’s entrance near a bike rack with two vintage bicycles on the rack. Stranger Things will release its fifth and final season in 2025.