Mary Elizabeth Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mary Elizabeth Hospital
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Facade
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1100 Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1920 |
| Architect | Dr. Harold Glascock, et al. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001415 |
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2009 |
The Mary Elizabeth Hospital was an important medical center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was designed by Dr. Harold Glascock and first opened its doors in 1920. You can still see the building today at the corner of Wake Forest Road and Glascock Street. It is recognized as a special Raleigh Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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A Hospital's Journey
Dr. Glascock and Dr. A.R. Tucker first started the hospital in 1914. It was in a different spot, at Peace and Halifax streets. They then moved it to the new building on Wake Forest Road, which was finished in 1920. The hospital served the community for many years. It kept helping people until it finally closed in 1978.
The Building's Look
The Mary Elizabeth Hospital building faces west. It has a nice front lawn with trees. This two-story brick hospital has a special "H" shape. This design was popular for hospitals in the early 1900s. The building looks like the Colonial Revival style. But it also has some Craftsman features. These include wide eaves and a sloped roof. These details match many of the homes in the neighborhood.
Amazing Medical Firsts
Mary Elizabeth Hospital was a very successful medical center. Many important medical "firsts" happened there. Doctors who worked there remember these big achievements:
- The first blood transfusion in North Carolina was done here.
- The first quick tissue test (called a pathological frozen section) was handled here.
- The first doses of penicillin in Wake County were given at this hospital.
- The area's first modern unit for childbirth (called an obstetrical unit) started here.
- Mary Elizabeth Hospital was the first place in Raleigh to offer radium treatments.
Time for a New Hospital
By the mid-1960s, doctors realized the hospital was getting old. New medical tools and treatments needed a bigger, more modern building. The doctors at Mary Elizabeth Hospital decided they needed to build a new hospital. This new place would have more space for future growth.
In 1970, the hospital was sold to a company called Charter Medical. Plans for a new, larger hospital with 150 patient beds began. However, other hospitals like Rex and WakeMed tried to stop the expansion. These legal fights delayed building the new hospital for six years. Charter Medical could not afford these long delays. So, after five years, Mary Elizabeth Hospital was sold again. This time, it was bought by the Hospital Corporation of America.
Finally, the new hospital was built further up Wake Forest Road. On June 10, 1978, the new hospital opened its doors. On that same day, the old Mary Elizabeth Hospital officially closed.
What Happened to the Old Building?
The new hospital was named Raleigh Community Hospital. This name showed its role in serving the community. Many doctors and staff from Mary Elizabeth Hospital moved to the new Raleigh Community Hospital. Later, in 1998, Raleigh Community Hospital became Duke Raleigh Hospital.
After the hospital closed in 1978, the United Way of Raleigh moved into the old building. It became their local office. So, the hospital building changed from a medical place to an office space. Even today, the Mary Elizabeth Hospital building remains an important historical landmark in Raleigh. It reminds people of its past as a small community hospital that helped many citizens.
See also
