Amid the tall buildings of the Medical University of South Carolina, tucked away in a shaded corner bordered by ancient oak trees, stands the Waring Historical Library. This lovely brick building, evocative of a small castle, houses the special collections for M.U.S.C. Included in this collection are rare books, journals, and artifacts of the health sciences. This lovely find is named after the first director of the library, Joseph I. Waring, Jr., who was a medical historian and pediatrician.
Built in 1894 by Charles Frederick Hoffman, Rector of the All Angels Episcopal Church of New York, the original building cost $7,500.00. The Reverend Hoffman erected it as a gift
for the Porter Military Academy. Transferred to the Medical University in 1965, the library annually hosts the Warren A. Sawyer Lecture, and the Joseph I. Waring Lecture and meeting. In addition to the lectures, the Student Medical History Club is sponsored by the Waring Library Society and meets monthly for lunch and an informal lecture on the history of medicine.
The library is open by appointment and contact information is as follows: Phone (843) 792-2288 or email: waringhl@musc.edu . Additionally, for information online, go to http://waring.library.musc.edu/index.php .
Random History by Gretchen Stringer-Robinson 