I always dread the point of a phone call when I get the inevitable snicker because I have to tell the operator at the phone/cable/etc company what street I live on. Glascock Street. Some of them even make me repeat it just to hear me say it again, then I have to spell it or I’ll get stuff sent to Glass Cock St. (those that live on the street know EXACTLY what I’m talking about).
Well, today while researching something else I stumbled upon why the street is called Glascock, which makes living with the street name a little less annoying. It’s named after Dr. Harold Glascock, who along with Dr. A.R. Tucker, founded the Mary Elizabeth Hospital which used sit on the corner of Wake Forest and Glascock St.
The doctors originally opened the hospital in 1914 on the corner of Peace and Halifax before constructing and moving to the Wake Forest & Glascock location in 1920. Originally, the hospital received scrutiny from the Raleigh medical community because both doctors were osteopaths, which was not considered a legitimate medical profession by many MDs. The doctors went to medical school to help strengthen their reputations, but still struggled for years after.
Dr. Glascock was the main force behind Mary Elizabeth (named after the mothers of the two doctors and their wives). Glascock’s main goal was to bring humanity into hospitals, with a focus on the relationships fostered between doctor, nurse, and patient. Later in his practice, he began to adhere to traditional medical principles with an emphasis on new technologies. Mary Elizabeth was the home of many firsts, including the first hospital to hold a blood transfusion in North Carolina, and the area’s first modern obstetrical unit. The hospital continued to operate until 1978, and many Raleigh residents have fond memories associated with the caring hospital. Pictured above is one of the reunion parties that they used to hold every year for the babies born in the hospital.
The building still exists on the corner, and has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The continuation sheet of the registration form has a wonderful history of the hospital and doctors that you can read here.
Above Image: Birthday reunion party of 1926.
Image Courtesy of the Raleigh City Museum
Black and White images above courtesy of the North Carolina State Archives
Current photos from the National Register of Historic Places application
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