Wilmington in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Community Hospital

1920-1967

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 24, 2024

1. Community Hospital Marker

Inscription.
School of Nursing est. 1921

A symbol of pride to the African-American community.

Located 1/2 block north

Original location 415 N. 7th Street

Erected by Friends of Community Hospital • Lower Cape Fear Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 34° 13.736′ N, 77° 56.07′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It is at the intersection of Castle Street and South 11th Street, on the right when traveling west on Castle Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1101 Castle St, Wilmington NC 28401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the

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territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: New Community Hospital and School of Nursing (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Community Boys Club, Inc. (about 600 feet away); Williston High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); World War II German Prisoner of War Main Camp (approx. ¼ mile away); William B. Hill House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Bellamy-Carnes House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Farrior-Taylor House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Sheehan-Davis House (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.

Also see . . .
1. Community Hospital opened Feb. 1, 1921. The first hospital in Wilmington exclusively dedicated to providing health care needs for black citizens was located in an old drug store building. (Justin Williams Pope, The Star-News, Jan. 29, 2017) (Submitted on January 26, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Community Hospital, Wilmington, N.C.: A Historical Account.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 24, 2024

2. Community Hospital Marker

Perhaps no single force has had as great an influence on the development of the Negro physician or a more significant historical impact on the quality of his services to the Negro population of the Port City of Wilmington, N. C. and the surrounding area than the founding of Community Hospital. (Hubert A. Eaton, M.D., Journal of the National Medical Association, January 1965; via National Library of Medicine at the National Center for Biotechnology Information) (Submitted on January 26, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

New Community Hospital and School of Nursing image. Click for full size.

via National Library of Medicine (Public Domain)

3. New Community Hospital and School of Nursing

The nurses' home is left of the main hospital building, which was built in 1939 using a Works Progress Administration grant.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 274 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 26, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.