First Avenue Holzer Hospital and Charles Holzer Historic Marker
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This hospital was the second operated by pioneering Gallipolis physician Charles E. Holzer and opened in 1917 with 25 beds. As the city grew and demand for medical services increased, additional wings were added to the building with the last addition being completed in 1961. After the present Holzer Health Systems opened on State Route 160 in 1972, this structure was abandoned and the building was unoccupied for many years until it was restored in 1993 and opened as the First Holzer Apartments.
Images
Holzer Hospital in the 1930s. Courtesy of the Gallia County Historical Society.
This historic marker is located near the location of the First Avenue Holzer Hospital and tells the story of the Holzer family's contributions to Gallipolis.
Holzer Hospital opened in 1917 and is now an apartment complex.
Charles E. Holzer
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Charles E. Holzer arrived in Gallipolis in 1909 with the intention of working for only one year at the institution that was then known as Ohio Hospital for Epileptics. Recognizing the need for medical care in this growing Ohio River town, Holzer opened a small seven-bed hospital in a former private home in 1910. Seven years later, Holzer opened this hospital with 25 beds. In 1949, he created a nonprofit foundation that operated his hospital with the help of his son who completed his medical education three years prior. The seven-bed hospital that Holzer began is now one of the largest medical centers in the region.
A nearby historical marker tells the story of Charles E. Holzer Sr. and his son Charles who joined his father in 1946 and established the Holzer Clinic in 1950. In 1972, Holzer Medical Center and Holzer Clinic opened at its present location on Jackson Pike. Today, the hospital and clinic established by the Holzers form the basis of Holzer Health Systems. Sources
History of Holzer Hospital. Holzer Health Care System website. . Accessed June 09, 2018. https://www.holzer.org/about/history/.