The Whitehead Infirmary

           ^{The Whitehead Infirmary, located on East Main Street in Lake City, South Carolina, has stood for over 70 years. The building is now home to Lynches Lake Historical Society and is one of Lake City's most celebrated landmarks due to the impact the building and its progenitor had on the community. The importance of the building cannot be understated as many of Lake City’s residents still have memories of being treated here. Preserving its history is vital to understanding Lake City during its time of operation.}

            ^{During the Great Depression, the country as a whole was hit hard, but Lake City fared well compared to many other places due to its robust agricultural sector. This caused Lake City to boom even further during the post-war period. With an expanding population, there came a need for modern medical facilities within the city limits. In 1932, a young doctor named James Dudley Whitehead returned to his hometown and continued his family legacy by practicing medicine. Dr. J.D. former valedictorian of Lake City High School and graduate of The University of South Carolina's Medical School, was a prime candidate to lead Lake City into the future of medicine. After returning from his time in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and New York State, he slowly built his practice in what is now the M&D drug store. He then moved to the corner of Main and Acline Avenue beside the railroad tracks. After building his patient base and accruing funds, Dr. J.D. set a plan to build his hospital. 1938 he employed Edgeworth and McBride contractors from Cheraw to build his new hospital. The building would have 24 rooms that included offices, a modern operating room, an ambulance bay, and the newest X-ray technology. Dr. J.D. also partnered with other medical professionals in the area to offer the most diverse medical care possible. This meant bringing in medical specialists to help with surgical matters and general care. Leading the community to hold much optimism for Lake City's new hospital and the role it would play.} 

                  ^{After a year, Dr. J. D’s hospital was dubbed a “Great Success” by the community as it exceeded well over its anticipated goals in patients and public interest. The community even talked about the need to expand the hospital because at certain times patients were turned away due to lack of space. Although the only meaningful “expansion” of the hospital was the ambulance bay turning into a “Colored” waiting room. The hospital offered a wide range of services during its time, including surgeries, specialized care, and at-home care. Dr. J.D. even performed autopsies for all of lower Florence County. The connections with various other institutions and doctors greatly helped medicine expand into the community, as well as maximizing the amount of these procedures that could take place.}

                     ^{The most transformative procedure in Lake City was the cesarean section or c-section. This can only be accomplished by having the proper medical facilities. This being the main reason Dr. J.D. opened the infirmary, because of his want to help decrease infant mortality. During  Dr. J.D.’s tenure, he delivered thousands of children including 2,006 in the building as well as many at-home births. Births in the United States rapidly moved from at-home to hospitals during this time. This was caused by the increased number of hospitals but also the higher availability of insurance, although in Lake City few had insurance in the Infirmary’s beginnings. Infant mortality in the United States decreased by 20% in Dr. J.D.’s time. This helped lead to the largest generation ever born in the United States, the baby boomers. With births, accidents, and surgeries the infirmary continued to stay busy until its closing in 1959. With thousands of children born and 3,366 operations, the infirmary was considered a landmark in the community, and many were saddened to hear it go. He had satiated the community's need for a hospital, but he understood the need for larger accommodations for Lake City's residents, this mixed with his age were his primary reasons for closing the Infirmary. When the Infirmary officially closed the people of Lake City had to take action and pave the way for a new hospital. Plans were set in 1960, construction began, and in 1966 the 50-bed hospital was dedicated.}

                 ^{When Dr. J.D. decided to close his infirmary in 1959, he still wanted to use the facilities to operate a day clinic. He was a man of the community and wanted to help the people he spent years developing relationships with. Although his general practice differed much from running a hospital, he noted that “A large part of general practice is giving people a shoulder to cry on,” Dr. J.D., in his 55 years of medical practice, always kept the patient alongside the community in the forefront of his mind. He helped push for better medical care in his hometown and saved many lives. He ran his day clinic until his retirement in 1989. After 1989, the building he built changed hands through the years. Operating as a doctor's office and storage facility. A family even lived in the building for a short time. In 2014, The Darla Moore Foundation purchased and renovated the building, turning it into offices for ArtFields and Lynches Lake Historical Society. ArtFields soon departed, and the Whitehead Infirmary became the present-day home of Lynches Lake Historical Society and Museum.}

^{Our team invites you to visit our museum and research center. To learn more about Lake City, the Whitehead Infirmary, and your genealogy!}

‍

‍

‍

                      ^Bibliography

^{‍         Florence Morning News Page 9, 03/27/1938.}

        ^{Florence Morning News Page 4, 06/11/1938.}

        ^{The State (Columbia S.C.) Page 17, 06/12/1938.}

        ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 08/10/1938.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 14, 08/21/1938.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 6, 11/02/1938.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 11/02/1938.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 12/06/1938.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 10, 01/19/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 3, 03/01/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 3, 05/16/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 3, 08/19/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 1, 09/28/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 8, 09/30/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 11/27/1939.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 13, 02/06/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 02/15/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 03/19/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 03/31/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 2, 04/28/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 4, 04/30/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 8, 11/19/1959.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 1, 11/071966.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 3, 06/26/1986.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 3, 08/10/1986.}

          ^{Florence Morning News Page 4, 09/02/2004.}

          ^{Dr. JD Whitehead Jr.. Interview 6/26/2024.” YouTube, July 12, 2024}            

                  ^{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGviW8uvz60&t=50s.}

^‍