Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital

Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital began operation on July 31, 1911, as one of the first public hospitals in the region. Judge Francis Flagg Putney made the founding donation of $25,000, though other money and goods were donated by both white and black citizens. Judge Putney's endowment stipulated that the hospital serve all citizens, making Phoebe one of the first in the South to treat all races under one roof. The hospital offered twenty-five beds and one operating room. Judge Putney also stipulated that the hospital be named for his mother and that it be constructed of brick to withstand fire.