Voices of The Willows

Established in 1905, The Willows Maternity Sanitarium was started by Edwin and Cora Mae Haworth out of their home in Kansas City. After learning that a family friend’s daughter was unmarried and pregnant, the couple decided to take her in, care for her during pregnancy and then find a home for the child. From here, The Willows Maternity Sanitarium was born.“The Willows was established for the unfortunate young women facing social and moral ostracism,” Edwin shared in a 1929 informational brochure.In 1908, the Haworths moved to 2929 Main Street in a mansion that overlooked downtown Kansas City, and they grew the sanitarium’s reach. Admission was selective, as the Haworths and the nurses wanted to monitor pregnancies as early and closely as possible. This led to the sanitarium being a middle-to-upper-class facility, as they didn’t take in women who didn’t have the finances to stay.The Willows was privately owned and received no federal funds, grants, or philanthropic donations. The money that supported operations came directly from the women who stayed at The Willows during their pregnancy. After the babies were born, costs were completely covered by The Willows until adoption.Over The Willows Maternity Sanitarium’s 64 years in operation, approximately 30,000 babies were born.The philosophy of The Willows was aimed at protecting and preparing young women and their babies from society’s eyes. In the beginning, the hospital was highly secluded. Women were not allowed to leave the sanitarium while pregnant. After Cora Mae’s passing in 1953, her daughter-in-law took over and relaxed the women’s guidelines. They could now travel into town with another resident or with a nurse and visit downtown or the Plaza.The property had more than just the hospital. Shortly after opening in their new building, the Haworths started a nursing school. These nurses in training would help with taking care of the young women and babies. Behind the sanitarium sat multiple Victorian-style homes, which provided additional housing for women and the nurses. The Willows Maternity Sanitarium closed in 1969 and the building no longer stands. A historical marker now sits near the original location at 2911 Main Street.For more Voices of The Willows or to support future episodes, visit voicesofthewillows.com/support/.

KelLee Parr introduces the new Voices of The Willows podcast featuring stories from adoptees and birth families from The Willows Maternity Sanitarium in Kansas City, Mo.