Medical Care

Medical Care. . At the turn of the 19th century, traditional herbal cures, midwives on horseback, and the advice of elderly “granny women” provided most of the medical care in Blowing Rock. But over the years Blowing Rock has been blessed with a variety of men and women skilled in the medical arts. , Earliest among these were Doctors Charles Carter, Letcher C. Reeves, Calvin J. Parlier, and James E. Brooks. Perhaps the most colorful was Alfred Mordecai, a Renaissance man, musical composer and outspoken naturalist. , The first female physician was Mary Campbell Warfield who moved to Blowing Rock in 1930. Her impact on the residents was profound because she established the Warfield Clinic. The Clinic focused on pediatrics and Dr. Warfield accepted no pay for services rendered. She rode the mountains on horseback making house calls. The operating costs of the clinic were offset by an annual fashion show and Metropolitan Opera star Norman Cordon's Village Concert. , Medical care entered the modern era with the arrival of Dr. Charles Davant in 1948. He and philanthropist Anne Reynolds Tate led the successful effort to build Blowing Rock Medical Clinic. Later, in 1968, Dr. Davant led the creation of a 100-bed hospital with a focus on long term care and rehab. , Caption: Dr. Warfield's Clinic