St. Luke's Hospital and Foundation - Working Together
to Serve our Community
Saint Luke's Hospital on Carolina Drive in Tryon, NC.
The St. Luke’s legacy began when Dr. Allen J. Jervey and Dr. Marion C. Palmer moved to Tryon, where the pure air and pristine views aided patients’ recovery. The two young physicians envisioned a hospital that served local Polk County residents.
In 1916, their vision became a reality when the Tryon Infirmary opened in a rented boarding house on Godshaw Hill.
From Godshaw Hill, the Tryon Infirmary relocated to a new building on Trade Street. Miss Lucy Embury, a patient of Dr. Allen Jervey, left the property in trust to the two doctors to construct a hospital. She asked that it be named after Luke, the great physician and the New Testament author of the Books of Luke and Acts.
For several reasons, Miss Embury’s property was unsuitable for hospital use and was sold for $10,000.
With the $10,000 from the sale of Lucy Embury’s gifted property, a $43,000 donation from the Duke Foundation, and contributions from citizens of Polk County, St. Luke’s Hospital was constructed for $100,000.
The hospital was built on land donated by Dr. Palmer and opened on November 8, 1929.
By 1933, the large charity load of patients placed St. Luke’s under financial burden. Facing closure, substantial contributions by individuals spared the hospital.
In early 1935, the community leaders formed the St. Luke’s Hospital
Association, and through a community-wide fundraising campaign, philanthropists raised money to maintain daily operations.
When the Carolina Drive building was no longer viable, the community rallied again for their hospital.
In 1968, Polk County citizens voted to move ahead with the construction of a new hospital. By 1970, the hospital had gathered enough funding to build a new state-of-the-art facility in Columbus, NC, on 25 acres donated by the St. Luke’s Auxiliary.
Saint Luke's Hospital in Columbus, NC.
In 1991, The Hospital Foundation was formed with the mission of supporting the hospital, and its employees, as they provide exemplary healthcare for our community.
