PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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Plymouth's first nursing home was established in July 1891 in a converted residence at number 4 Woodside, in the Greenbank area. Woodside House was purchased from the executors of the late Mr James R Parfitt. Ownership was vested in a private company of which Mr E A Pearn, the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, General Fowler Burton, Mr J J S Andrew, Mr William Square FRCS, and Mr Paul Swain FRCS were the first directors. Mr Charles King, architect, of Princess Square, Plymouth, then remodelled the House and doubled the size without spoiling the style of the original House. Messrs A R Lethbridge & Son were the contractors, with Mr Bannerman performing the plumbing and sanitary work and Messrs Rundle & Prowse undertaking the painting and decorating. The walls were painted rather than covered with wall-paper as this was considered more healthy. The corridors were of sky blue and white but other tints were used elsewhere. On the ground floor was the office of the lady superintendent, Miss Champion, a former nurse at the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital. She received specialist training for this post at Mrs Bedford Fenwick's Private Home for Patients at Hallis Street, London. From the office ran speaking tubes to every landing and nurse's rooms. The kitchen was at the top of the building, which was something new that was apparently becoming fashionable. Luckily a lift was provided. The whole House was furnished by Messrs Popham, Radford & Company, of Plymouth. Possibly the fact that Mr Arthur Popham lived at number 6 Woodside may have had something to do with that! Seven bedrooms were available for the reception of patients needing medical care and attention from the highly trained nurses. To reduce the need for constant cleaning, each room was equipped with Doulton majolica-ware fireplaces with special low grates as it was considered these would require less poking and replenishing of the fires. Woodside House was due to be formally opened by Lady Hunt-Grubbe in July 1891. By 1935 number 5 Woodside had been added and the matron was Miss Ethel Wearne. At some point Woodside became a mother and baby unit and closed as such at the end of 1969.
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