Cyril O. Spann Medical Office

Front: From 1963 to 1979, this was the office of Dr. Cyril O. Spann (1916-1979), one of the first fully trained African American surgeons in S.C. Born in Chester, Spann fought in World War II and attended nearby Benedict College. After graduating from Meharry Medical College, he traveled to different S.C. towns to perform surgery and train other black doctors. He built this office after acquiring the site in 1962. Reverse: A local civil rights leader, Spann helped desegregate public accommodations and once performed life-saving surgery on a student stabbed during a sit-in. While Spann saw patients at this office, he conducted surgery at Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital, where he worked as early as 1957 and later served as chief of staff. After Spann’s death, other black doctors continued practicing at his office into the 1990s.