In every episode of Antiques Roadshow, people bring in personal treasures to be examined by antique appraisers. Oftentimes, these keepsakes and vintage finds have been stumbled upon in a family member’s basement or attic. They might not be in great shape or have much monetary value, but they can be a priceless discovery.

Such is the case with the original doors to The Johns Hopkins Hospital, which have a similar story.

For decades, every single person who entered the hospital through its main entrance — now the Billings Building — passed through a set of elegantly carved oak doors. Measuring 8 feet tall and more than 6 feet wide, and weighing over 600 pounds, the doors stood firm until wear and tear required they be taken down in the 1960s, when they were stored in an attic space beneath the iconic dome.

Now, 129 years after the hospital’s opening, the original doors have been restored, polished and put on display for all to admire this significant piece of history.

During a dedication ceremony on May 31, Redonda Miller, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, spoke about what these doors symbolize. She recounted the story of the hospital’s opening on May 7, 1889.

Mr. Johns Hopkins’ vision was for The Johns Hopkins Hospital to provide for “the indigent sick of this city and its environs, without regard to sex, age or color.” On that day, carpenter William Woods handed over the keys to the original doors, symbolizing the formal opening of the hospital. The keys were never used again and the doors were to remain forever open … and they have.

At the time, the doors also acted as a portal to the 20th century and beyond. As the first hospital to partner with a medical school, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was a turning point for medical care in the United States.

“Today, these doors truly symbolize our commitment to deliver the promise of medicine,” said Miller.

Thanks to the persistence of Colleen Koch, anesthesiologist-in-chief, and Donna Magid, professor of radiology and radiological science, the doors are back on solid ground. Rather than remain propped against an attic wall like firewood, they insisted that the doors get the historical recognition they deserved.

“I thought about who had touched those doors, who had walked through those doors, and it gave me chills,” said Magid.

Their efforts kicked off an 18-month journey that included meetings in the dusty attic space to discuss logistics of moving and displaying the doors, and a months-long restoration to make them shine once again.

“I would say that we do not need an Antiques Roadshow appraiser to tell us the value of these doors,” said Miller. “We already know that they are priceless.”

The doors are on permanent display in The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Maumenee Basement Landing, located between the two escalators between the hospital and the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center.

View a Facebook Live video of the May 31 dedication ceremony.