 Following his death in 1846, his children and grandchildren donated the Hamot Homestead for use as a general hospital.Quickly organized and managed by the first nurse hired by the hospital, Irene Sutleff, the hospital opened its doors to the public on July 1, 1881, and treated its first patient who was admitted on July 10, 1881.The Hamot Homestead facility quickly outgrew its 25 patient capacity, and the first of many expansions was conducted in 1888.