National Register of Historic Places

Watts Hospital

Durham, Durham County, North Carolina
Listed
April 1, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80002824

About this property

Watts Hospital, located in Durham, North Carolina was the city's first hospital, operating between 1895 and 1976. The hospital opened in 1895, funded entirely by George W. Watts, as a private, 22-bed, modern hospital dedicated to the care of Durham's white citizens and offered free care to those unable to pay. The hospital became public in 1953 and closed 1976, when Durham County General Hospital opened. The grounds and buildings of the hospital's 1909 campus were converted to become the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, which began classes in 1980.

Location

Durham, Durham County, North Carolina
36.01970, -78.92087

Categories

HEALTH/MEDICINESCIENCEARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Watts Hospital

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

West Durham Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Watts-Hillandale Historic District
Industrial
0.6 mi
Trinity Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.7 mi
Erwin Cotton Mills Company Mill No. 1 Headquarters Building
Industrial
0.8 mi
City Garage Yard and Fire Drill Tower
Industrial
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Watts Hospital listed on the National Register?

Watts Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Watts Hospital?

Watts Hospital is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Watts Hospital?

The period of significance for Watts Hospital is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Watts Hospital?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Watts Hospital will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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