Description To Pictou Hospitals

R.H. Sherwood’s
Flashback
PA 19/07/78

TO PICTOU HOSPITALS
The first general hospital, so- called, within the town limits was in a large, rambling house on High Street, which later became known as the Miner Fisher House. That building stood for many years until it was finally demolished some years ago.

In removing the old building, Jimmy Nicholson, who supervised the work; noted that old-time, square, handmade nails were used within the building, that the beams were 14 feet long and 8 inches thick, and all were in excellent condition. All the heavy beams had been anchored together with large wooden pegs.

Back in 1893, when that house on High Street was the home of Mrs. George Logan, a few energetic ladies of the town realized that Pictou needed a general hospital. With this in mind, and encouraged by Dr. Smith Anderson, Pictou’s beloved doctor of those years, four rooms were secured in the Logan home.

The expectative responsible or the operation of that first hospital included: J. MacGregor Stewart, President; Belle Patterson, Secretary; Mrs. Mary Munro Brown, treasurer. Mrs. George Logan was the first Superintendent and held the position for many years. One of the outstanding women workers of the town in those years was Mrs. Annie MacD. Primrose (Mrs. James), who acted as assistant to Dr. Anderson.

The first operation within that hospital was the removal of a leg from the person of “Pockles” MacLeod. That operation was carried out by Dr. John Stewart, of whom it was always said, he never began an operation without first offering a prayer for the success or the endeavor.

That first hospital was supported by volunteer contributions, which amounted to $223.50 and included a donation of $50 raised by the Pictou Garden Club. It served until 1901, when the old Marine Hospital for sick sailors was secured. The Marine Hospital was located on Beeches (not Beaches) Road, and has been established in the 1870’s.

The Marine Hospital gave way too the Pictou Cottage Hospital on Acadia Street, opened December, 1906. This was a large wooden building which was demolished about 1975. This hospital in turn was superseded by a modern brick hospital on the site of the old Marine Hospital, and became known as the Sutherland Memorial Hospital, in memory of Daniel Sutherland, a former mayor of Pictou and a contributor to the hospital.

The hospital wet the way of the former hospitals, except that it wasn’t demolished. A new, and more modern hospital was erected on what was called The Old Road, but now known as Haliburton Road. The new name was Sutherland-Harris Memorial Hospital, to the memory of Daniel Sutherland and the Sutherland line and for William Harris, ex-high Sherriff of Pictou County.

The former hospital, the Sutherland Memorial Hospital on he Beeches Road, when vacated, was taken over as a Home for Crippled Children. Later, when that organization moved to Elliot Street to become the Children’s Training Center, the former brick hospital and the nurses home at the top of the hill where Denoon Street and Beeches Road join, were then taken over as a government institution, under the name of eh North Shore Drug Dependency Center.

By Roland H. Sherwood (D.Litt.)
Historical Writer