Local Hospital Had Several Locations

Dr. Robert Stokes purchased property on the French Broad River in the Dunn’s Rock area in May 1920 with the intent of opening the first hospital in Transylvania County.  Named the Riverside Sanitarium, it was located in a large home that had been built by South Carolina plantation owner William Johnstone in the mid-1800s.

The hospital was heavily used and greatly appreciated by local citizens.  In 1921 electricity and a modern water system were added to the facility, as plans for growth were made.

Home of Dr. Stokes’ Brevard Hospital on Broad St. 

It was later Transylvania Hospital and then Lyday Memorial Hospital.

In April 1922 it was announced that Dr. Stokes had purchased the old Hickson House on Broad St (today County Club Rd) in Brevard.  The Brevard Hospital could care for 25 patients.  With the assistance of the eight nurses he employed Dr. Stokes continued to operate both facilities.  Dr. Summey also worked at the Brevard Hospital.

In July 1925 a group of local physicians opened the Transylvania Hospital in the 3-story Norwood House on Probart St.  Doctors included E.S. English, W.M. Lyday, G.B. Lynch, T.J. Summey and W.J. Wallis of Brevard, J.B. Wilkerson of Rosman, A.E. Lyday of Penrose and Owen E. Van Epp of Cashiers.

Exact dates of when Dr. Stokes closed the Riverside Sanitarium or his Brevard hospital were not located.  However, in July 1925 he sold the Riverside Sanitarium property so it had closed prior to that time.  At some point Dr. Stokes sold the Brevard Hospital to Drs. Summey and Lynch and they moved the Transylvania Hospital to this location.  It closed in 1930 because of poor economic conditions.

Norwood House on Probart St.
 was the home of Transylvania Hospital in the mid-1920s
and Lyday Memorial Hospital in the early 1930s

After two years of not having a local hospital Dr. Newland and Dr. Cunningham opened a 20-bed facility in the Norwood House (formerly the Transylvania Hospital) in June 1932.  Named the Lyday Memorial Hospital for Transylvania’s first physician, Dr. Andrew J. Lyday, it was fully equipped for modern treatment and surgery.  All physicians in the county had accessed to the facility.

Because of the continuing economic depression the hospital was soon turned over to the community as a public hospital to receive additional funding and provide care for those unable to pay.  It was incorporated as a non-profit with a Board of Trustees in 1933.

In 1935 the hospital relocated once again to the old Hickson house on Broad St.  Demand for health services grew quickly and land beside the hospital was purchased for future use.  

Next week’s “Picturing the Past” article will cover the history of the Transylvania Community Hospital, the first building in the county built as a hospital.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.