By Katherine Seale
Saved Dallas |
Good Samaritan Hospital
Saved Dallas examines structures that have been saved from the wrecking ball of “progress.” We hope they provoke fond memories and remind us all of the importance of our historic architecture. Good Samaritan Hospital 4526 Leland Built 1921 This unremarkable two-story frame house fits well into its neighborhood on a quiet street in south Dallas. But as its owner delves into the building’s history, a fascinating story unfolds. The home began as a small community-centered hospital, owned and operated by a German immigrant, Martha Schultze. Built in 1921, it was primarily a birthing clinic. Among its patients were wealthy, unwed mothers who came from Europe to have their babies in secret. Letters were fabricated to
family and friends with detailed accounts of travel with friends and experiences in America. The babies were adopted and the young mothers returned to school or home in Europe. years after the hospital closed, the building had a second life as a residential hotel for African Americans. It was the 1950s, the throes of the Civil Rights Movement. South Dallas was one of the areas targeted for change. As Blacks moved to what had been an all-white South Dallas, some residents were not receptive and some took extreme measures. Over an 18-month period, from 1950 to the summer of 1951, a 42-year-old clothes presser, Claude Thomas Wright, resided next door. He admitted to taking part in five bombings. This structure still stands as a testament to the strength, courage, and perseverance of all who have worked its soil, and to a solid Dallas community. ■ Katherine Seale is the executive director of Preservation Dallas.
Texas/Dallas History & Archives Division, Dallas Public Library
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FALL 2010