NC's First Black Hospital Gets Historic Recognition

Shirley Chapman and Rosa Covington met as nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital in 1963, delivering babies and caring for patients who had nowhere else to turn. Sixty-three years later, they stood together again to watch their old workplace finally get the recognition it deserved.

Good Samaritan opened its doors in 1891 as the first privately funded hospital in North Carolina built exclusively for Black patients. During the Jim Crow era, when segregation barred Black Americans from most medical facilities, Good Samaritan welcomed them with open arms and 20 beds that eventually grew to serve 100 patients.

Chapman worked in obstetrics for years, even delivering two of her sister's babies. "It was a wonderful experience, I enjoyed working there," she said at Thursday's ceremony at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlotte.

The hospital operated for seven decades before closing and being demolished in 1996. Bank of America Stadium now sits where patients once received lifesaving care, with only a private marker inside the stadium acknowledging what stood there before.

Dr. Alvin Powell, founder of the North Carolina Highway Equity Initiative, fought to change that. "A private marker is just that—it's private," he explained. "When that stadium gets torn down, that marker is going to be gone forever."

This was actually the second attempt to honor Good Samaritan with a state historical marker. The first request was rejected because the committee felt the hospital lacked statewide significance.

The Ripple Effect

The recognition means more than honoring bricks and mortar. John Cunningham, born at Good Samaritan in 1952, now mentors Black youth in Charlotte through his group "Black Men With a Focus." He sees a direct line from the hospital's mission to his work today.

"We are super excited, because this is our history," Cunningham said. His group provides scholarships and mentorship to students, carrying forward the same spirit of community care that Good Samaritan embodied.

The ceremony brought together former employees, people born at the hospital, and younger generations learning this history for the first time. Lallage Carouthers, 89, part of Good Samaritan's 1957 nursing graduating class, received flowers and a standing ovation.

Rev. Quishun Jenkins of Ebenezer Baptist Church reflected on his role in preserving these stories. "How can I make sure I do my part and just keep the history going, making sure my generation and younger generations continue to learn these stories?"

Chapman's goddaughter Nicole witnessed how the hospital's legacy shaped relationships that lasted decades. The permanent state marker ensures Good Samaritan's story will endure just as long as those friendships forged in service.