The Montgomery County Historical Commission will dedicate a historical marker at the former Montgomery County Hospital in Conroe at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, on the front steps at 301 1st Street.
In honor of the 1938 structure's pivotal role in local healthcare and its subsequent life as senior housing, the Montgomery County Historical Commission will place a historical marker at the former Montgomery County Hospital on Monday, September 15, at 9:00 a.m. East Conroe, the city's first residential neighborhood in the early 1900s, will host the ceremony on the front steps of 301 First Street.
In the midst of an oil-fueled boom and a booming timber industry that increased Conroe's population but put a burden on its limited medical facilities, the county's first public hospital opened its doors on September 15, 1938, exactly 87 years ago.
The neighborhood at the time depended on the modest Mary Swaim Sanitarium on East Davis Street and a few doctors. Thousands of babies were born at the new county hospital, which for more than thirty years was the sole local facility offering emergency and surgical treatments.
A statewide polio outbreak and post-World War II growth prompted the hospital's initial expansion in 1954.
Up until the late 1960s, it remained the central medical facility in the area. The newly formed Montgomery County Hospital District took over administration in 1977 and started looking for property for a more expansive, contemporary facility. By 1982, demand on the landlocked 1st Street site had decreased as a result of expansion along Interstate 45, which brought a regional public hospital and a network of medical clinics to Conroe's south side.
Later, the historic structure was used for affordable private housing before it became abandoned and dilapidated. After purchasing the building, Kansas-based Overland Property Group collaborated with the City of Conroe to renovate it and transform it into Landmark 301, a senior apartment complex featuring facilities for residents, as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first in Conroe and the first in Montgomery County since 1974. The developer was also nationally known for using federal and state tax credits.
Larry Foerster, chair of the county historical commission, expressed his happiness at the conversion of the 1938 county hospital to senior residences, which will enable it to continue serving Conroe and Montgomery County. "The ancient hospital's preservation contributes to the restoration of the early legacy of Conroe's residential core a century ago. We hope that more people will recognize the benefits of keeping ancient buildings intact rather than tearing them down.
The committee claimed that the hospital provided care to residents irrespective of their color, nationality, creed, or financial situation. Residents of the county who were born or received treatment at the facility are particularly encouraged to attend the dedication on Monday.
