Happy Friday!
Recently, Charlotte's very own Mercy Hospital celebrated its 115th birthday! Founded on February 26, 1906, Mercy Hospital opened as the first Catholic hospital in North Carolina. Established and run by the Sisters of Mercy, a headline in the Charlotte Observer proclaimed the hospital to be “One of the Best in the South” and quoted a visiting physician who stated, “...no better service could be secured anywhere, even in the large centers, such as Baltimore and other Northern cities.”
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The hospital originally stood on the grounds of St. Peter Catholic Church on East Fifth Street, but moved to its current location on Vail Avenue in 1916. In 1995, the Sisters of Mercy sold the hospital and Mercy Health Services to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, which does business as Atrium Health.
Mercy Hospital, Charlotte, NC - 7, undated. MS0121 Mary Boyer collection of historical postcards and papers, UNC Charlotte.
To learn more about Mercy Hospital and other historical medical facilities in the area, check out Fact Friday 119 - Charlotte Memorial Hospital and Fact Friday 105 - The Business District Transformation Pt. 3.
Until next week,
Chris.
Email me at chris@704shop.com if you have interesting Charlotte facts you’d like to share or just to provide feedback!
Information taken from:
UNC Charlotte Special Collections on Instagram: @unccspeccoll
“We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.” – Frederick Douglass