The recent surplus, salvage, and vintage sale at the old Harvey Rinehart Memorial Hospital in Wheeler drew strong community support and was a clear success. The Nehalem Bay Health District thanks the residents and visitors who attended and found useful items or personal treasures, as well as the volunteers who helped make the event possible.
The sale allowed the recycle and reuse of hundreds of items that had remained in the building for years. Clearing the space was necessary so environmental remediation—removal of asbestos material and lead paint—can begin in mid-August.
The hospital building carries deep local history. Dr. Harvey E. Rinehart arrived in Wheeler in 1913 to serve as physician for the town’s sawmill. He later expanded his practice, and in 1955 the Harvey Rinehart Memorial Hospital opened as a community hospital. It provided care until closing in 1989. Today, medical services for the area continue through the modern Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy in Wheeler.
Many who visited the sale shared personal connections to the old hospital. One man’s grandfather was the hospital’s first maintenance man. Others remembered being born there or family members who received care. A brother and sister (on separate days) recalled racing wicker wheelchairs down the basement hallway. A lifelong resident said she was born in the hospital and that her father later died there; she still remembered his room number. When offered a photo standing beside the still-numbered door of Room 210, she accepted, and staff were glad to take the picture.
Another local resident shared that she received a Rinehart Hospital scholarship to study nursing. After completing her education, she returned and worked for 17 years as a surgical nurse at the hospital.
A second sale may be held after the remediation work is finished. The Health District hopes some remaining fixtures, such as sinks and light fixtures, can also find new useful homes. Details will be shared when available.Looking further ahead, the Health District has long considered redeveloping the site in ways that could help address the area’s housing needs, particularly for health care and other essential workers.
