Watts Hospital

Watts Hospital was the first hospital in Durham, North Carolina, operating from 1895 to 1976. It was funded by George W. Watts and initially served the city's white citizens, offering free care to those who couldn't afford it. In 1953, the hospital became public and eventually closed in 1976 when Durham County General Hospital opened. The hospital's campus was later converted into the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 1980.

The original hospital, established in 1895, was located on land donated by George Watts. However, due to the city's growth, a larger facility was built in 1909 at the intersection of Club Boulevard and Broad Street. This new hospital, designed in the Spanish Mission style by architect Bertrand E. Taylor, was expanded in 1926 with the Valinda Beale Watts Pavilion. The hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Watts Hospital began admitting black patients on a limited basis in the early 1960s, but a referendum in 1966 to fund a larger and integrated hospital was defeated by Durham voters. Despite this setback, the hospital continued to serve the community until its closure in 1976.

Notable individuals, such as Brenda Joy Jones, were born at Watts Hospital. Jones later became president of various organizations in North Carolina and advocated for the preservation of Watts as a historic site or a school in the 1970s.

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