Mountain State Hospital is a now-demolished hospital that was at the corner of Virginia and Morris streets in Charleston, West Virginia.
Pharmacist George Kenney and West Virginia Attorney General E.T. England purchased a residence on Virginia Street and founded Mountain State Hospital in 1921. 3 It grew to feature 120 beds, two operating rooms, a delivery room, and a nursing school.
Mountain State merged with Charleston Memorial Hospital in 1969 1 and closed in 1971. 2 The building was reused as a nursing home, which closed in 1999. The complex was purchased by the adjoining Eye & Ear Clinic and razed for a parking lot in 2005.
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Sources
- Point, Warren. “Charleston Area Medical Center.” e-WV. West Virginia Humanities Council, 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. Article.
- Peyton, Billy Joe. “East End.” Charleston. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2010. 62. Print.
- Bumgardne, Stan. “A Suburban City.” Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2006. Charleston. 84. Print.
16 Comments
Add Yours →My Mother and I worked thair in the 50th I was still in school was 15 years old I had to get work permits at that time I worked for 3 months My boss was a Mrs Patton my Mother worked in Laundry nice place to work
My Grandmother Georgia Agnes Myers-Jarrett died in this hospital in her 20’s giving birth @ 9mths of pregnancy. The family were told the baby died also. The baby would of been born Nov 18, 19 or 20th, 1950. We believe it was adopted. If you have any information please contact me, Denise Renee Hutson via garose1331@gmail.com or 706-738-0727- Augusta, Ga. DESPERATELY SEEKING THE BABY POSSIBLY ADOPTED November 1950. God Bless!!
Denise good luck and God Bless you in your search. I hope you find. I’ve been searching for 8 years. Even made trips filed to release and open the adoption records as both biological parents are dead. The fifties political powers of a certain family still have pull in Charleston. If you have and can get to Charleston I went through the archives for the date my mom gave me and that was how I found the original birth certificate. You have approximate date and year. You can go through her name looking for a birthday certificate. Also look in delayed filings films. Best of luck. Still searching and advertising.
Hi Jacqueline!! Thank
Denise, There should be a death certificate for the child that passed away and it should state where remains were buried by whom and the doctor and cause.. Do you still have family in Charleston? I had a lady that was helping me with my search. Someone from Archives was kind enough to give me her number and name when I explained the situation. Believe her name was Loretta Hutson. Your grandmother’s last name is very familiar I wish my two older sisters were were with me. One had passed and the other has battled dementia and my oldest brothers who never left Charleston passed in 2010 and he knew all the dirt from back in the Charleston run.
Hi Jacqueline! It’s been awhile since I connected with you. I would like to get in touch with you. My email is garose1331@gmail.com. I’m still trying to find a death certificate for my grandmother’s baby!??
Searching for a baby born either Nov. 17-20, 1950 at Mtn State Hospital in Charleston, WVA. The mothers name was Georgia Agnes Myers- Jarrett and she passed away while in the hospital for numerous complications. The family was told that the baby also died?? My question is that if the baby was 9 Months old, full term & the baby also died, there should have been a burial for the baby also. In researching this Hospitals “questionable past’. there were IDENTICAL circumstances that the family were told the newborn died ONLY Later to find out the newborn was given up for ADOPTION!! If any one knows ANYTHING regarding the untruths of this Hospital or have information about a possible Adoption during this time period, please contact me, granddaughter of Georgia Agnes Jarrett (her DOB 6/1/1923), PLEASE contact me, Denise Hutson of Augusta. GA via email; garose1331@gmail.com OR phone# 706-401-5535. You can remain anonymous!! Also, if you have any similar stories. PLEASE SHARE!! GOD
BLESS & KEEP YOU! Denise Hutson
My mom gave birth to a boy here on September 3,1951. Only information on certificate from microfilm is he was premature, a male and the dr who delivered Rose H Mc Canaan and he was alive. I know mom was forced to give up for adoption by the father who was also the father of a son born on July 12,1950 at Mc Million Hospital and he was a public rising figure. Still searching for this brother. Mom was threatened is she contacted the child she’d never see daylight. Have to love the self-serving officials of Charleston West Virginia
I was born here August 6,1948 delivered by Dr Rose McClanahan. I found out yesterday that my neighbor who is 3 weeks older than me was also born there! We’ve been neighbors for almost 7 years! I Never got to go back and am sad it’s gone .
MY MOTHER DELIVERED A BABY GIRL,???? ON 1-7-1961, ATTENDED BY DR.ROSE MACLANNAHAN AND WAS TOLD THE BABY WAS STILLBORD AND IN A DECOMPOSING STATE.MY MOTHER SAID THAT THE BABY WAS MOVING ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL(,AND SHE ALWAYS SAID SHE HEARD THIS BABY CRYING AFTER DELIVERY, AT. MOUNTAIN STATE HOSPITAL. MY FATHER AND AN AUNT ASKED TO VIEW THE BABY’S BODY AND WAS BROUGHT A DECEASED BABY GIRL THAT WAS A PURPLE BLACK SKIN COLOR AND TOLD NOT TO TOUCH THE BABY DUE TO DECOMPOSITION OF THE SKIN.THEY., . (MY PARENTS) NEVER BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE SHOWN THEIR BABY OR THAT THEIR BABY HAD DIED AT BIRTH.THEY HAD THREE OTHER CHILDREN AND VERY LITTLE MONEY AND BURIED THIS LITTLE BABY, ALWAYS BEING VERY UNSURE ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS THERE CHILD. OR NOT.:( THEY TALKED ALL THE REST OF THEIR LIVESXABOUT IT, EESPECIALLY MY MOTHER.
If you are still connected to this thread, please contact me. emilyletart88@gmail.com
Have you spoken with anyone else who has had a similar story? Have you ever gotten any answers? My mother was adopted in 1956 from Mountain State Hospital and it envolved the Mcclanhan doctor.
I have the fondest of memories of this hospital,myself&6 siblings we’re born here by the same doctor -Rose McClanahan.I was born in 54.Wow what a great hospital,I’m sure money put it out of business.I was in there once while it was a nursing home.Top of the stairs 1st room on the right.That’s was the baby room…
I was born their also in 1953. I never got to see it the family moved to Michigan for jobs. To bad it’s gone. I would have loved to seen the building.
Sometime during the late 1950's, my great uncle was a patient at Mountain State Hospital, and Mother, Grandma, and I went to see him there. I would guess that the main drawing force for my uncle and those other patients who chose Mountain State might have been the loving care that was at least perceived as being absent from other facilities. Perhaps it was its great age, a factor which helped many of advancing age to feel more comfortable in its surroundings. It was too old, too institutional for me, and I, still a growing youngster, did not like it. In later years, it became a nursing home, and I believe it had a good reputation.
I have always been puzzled by Mt. State and have wanted to know more of the building's history. It appears to have been a house built by an affluent family of Old Charleston, in what originally was a prime residential neiborhood. Then the area changed, and the house was no longer needed as someone's residence. Having been converted to an institution, it was probably added to several times.
I want to respect the old, and I usually do. Sometimes, though, the old loses its original dignity, and I believe Mt. State gradually lost its original dignity which was not preserved, while its purpose was being altered until the only way to grant it rest was to allow it to die in peace.
I was born on January 6, 1948 at Mountain State Memorial Hospital. Our family moved from West Virginia when I was nine-For the first time in 2007, I was able to see the hospital which was, of course, closed. I heard it was finally torn down. For me, that was sad because this was a wonderful historical building which could have been refurbished, and utilized for another purpose as the building had an unique outer structure. However, I was grateful to see the hospital.