Shenandoah Hospital served Southwest Roanoke for more than 60 years.
Written by Jenny K. Boone
An article in the Roanoke Times announcing the 1913 opening of Shenandoah Hospital describes the three-story building, pictured here, as having a “splendid elevator,” long-distance telephone connections in rooms, hardwood floors, and mahogany veneered doors.
This private hospital, owned and operated by a group of doctors, opened its doors at 712 Campbell Ave., in Southwest Roanoke. Its third floor was dedicated to surgeries, while the second floor was for other medical cases, and the first floor was reserved for convalescent care, according to a news article. The site also included a house with 11 rooms for nurses and doctors.
The small hospital remained a viable health care option for more than 60 years. News articles state that its proximity to the West End and Raleigh Court neighborhoods, along with its location on the streetcar line, produced steady business. It also prided itself on a “high degree of quiet” for its patients.
But competition from larger Roanoke area hospitals, along with low occupancy, eventually led to its closing in 1974. At the time, the hospital’s 65 beds were only half occupied, according to news articles. The building was demolished in 1976. I
