We all know living in the Research Triangle has its perks — and one of those is having access to some really great healthcare options. Duke and UNC take the top two slots for US News & World Report’s ranking of the top hospitals in our state + the WakeMed system has been continually recognized as “high performing” in five different treatment categories.
But we started to wonder, when did these healthcare facilities get so good? Today, we’re looking at the history of our local hospitals — and honoring all the work our local medical professionals are doing for us right now.
🩺Dorothea Dix Hospital | 820 South Boylan Avenue, Raleigh
Dix Hill Hospital (later renamed for advocate Dorothea Dix) opened in 1856, a stone’s throw from downtown Raleigh. The facility was meant to treat patients “who suffered from melancholy, mania, head injury, depression + epilepsy” — conditions which were misunderstood at the time. Nationally-renowned architects were involved in the design of the hospital, which remained open until 2012. What’s next? In 2015, the City of Raleigh purchased the property and began implementing plans to turn the 308 acres into a sprawling park.
🩺Duke University Hospital | 2301 Erwin Road, Durham
In 1925, James Buchanan Duke endowed Duke (then Trinity College) with $4 million — nearly $59 million in today’s dollars — to establish a hospital + medical and nursing schools. The hospital opened in 1930 and within five years had been named among the top healthcare establishments in the country, according to the American Medical Association. In 1936 the hospital established the first brain tumor program in the nation.
🩺Rex Hospital | 4420 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh
Now part of the UNC Health system, Rex has a history of its own. Founded in 1894 — with roots in a healthcare operation tracing back to 1839 — it’s Raleigh’s oldest existing general hospital. The facility’s original location was on South Street near Dorothea Dix Park, and the hospital quickly became known for its pioneering use of X-Rays in the early 20th century. The first nursing school in NC was affiliated with Rex and operated until 1975 + the hospital has been at its current location since 1980. Want to learn more? Check out Memory F. Mitchell’s article “A Half Century of Healthcare: Raleigh’s Rex Hospital, 1894-1944.”
🩺Mary Elizabeth Hospital | 1100 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh
Raleigh’s first private hospital opened in 1914 at the corner of Peace and Halifax Streets downtown and boasts many firsts. For example, the first blood transfusion ever given in NC occurred at Mary Elizabeth + the first penicillin doses given in Wake County were administered there. In 1920, the hospital moved to a long term facility on Wake Forest Road, where it continued to operate until 1978. At that time, the hospital relocated again — this time outside of the beltline — and was renamed Raleigh Community Hospital, which is now part of Duke Health. DYK: The former building is now registered on the list of historic places + currently houses office space.
🩺 St. Agnes Hospital | 1315 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh
Founded in 1895 on the campus of St. Augustine University, St. Agnes was the premier healthcare facility serving the African American community in and around Raleigh through the mid-20th century. In addition to providing high-standard, well-equipped medical care, the hospital also provided professional opportunities for black nurses and doctors at the time. Built with local stone by the college’s staff and students, the hospital is now a registered historic landmark — it closed in 1961. Click here to see how local artists are interacting with the old hospital site.
🩺 UNC Hospital | 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill
The NC Memorial Hospital — so-called to honor fallen soldiers from both World Wars — opened on the UNC campus in 1952. The site was intended to add a hospital to and expand the existing medical school and now makes up part of a much larger complex, including the UNC women’s and children’s hospitals.
🩺 WakeMed Health and Hospitals | 3000 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh
Founded in 1961, WakeMed has since expanded its services around Wake County to include hospital campuses + several outpatient offices in Raleigh, North Raleigh, and Cary. Originally a public hospital, the system is now private and not-for-profit.
