By Beverly Belcher Woody
With the exciting news of the Stuart Hospital (formerly R. J. Reynolds Patrick Memorial Hospital) reopening soon, I thought it would be appropriate to look back at the old Stuart Hospital which can be traced to the life and leadership of Dr. Waller Curtis Akers, whose vision and service shaped healthcare in our county for more than three decades.
The history of the Stuart hospital stretches back to 1875, when Dr. Dick Martin, then president of the Virginia Medical Association, established the Old Mother’s Home in Stuart. He was later joined by Dr. G. W. McNeil and his son, Dr. Moir Martin, and together they operated a well-equipped institution for the time. The hospital served Patrick County faithfully until it was destroyed by fire in 1915.
Refusing to let the community go without essential medical care, local physicians re-established the hospital in the old Martin home, expanding services as patient needs grew. The increased demand required additional trained staff, and it was during this period that Dr. George Divers and a young physician named Dr. W. C. Akers joined the team.
By around 1921, Drs. Divers and Akers built St. Martin’s Hospital on the original site of the Mother’s Home, which is now known as the Blue Ridge Nursing Center. Modern in structure and equipment, and staffed by capable and efficient medical professionals, it was considered the most modern hospital this side of Richmond.
Dr. Divers did not live to see the long-term success of the project. After his passing, Dr. Akers purchased the old William Wallace Moir homeplace on Blue Ridge Street and relocated the hospital there. He completely remodeled and enlarged the building to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly serviceable institution.
Dr. Akers was born on the 19th of October 1883 to Dr. Roley Tazewell Akers and Lucy Reed Akers of Floyd County, Virginia. He was the oldest child, and his Christian name was Waller Curtis Akers. Many articles show his name as Walter, but Dr. Akers’ marriage record and both of his draft registration cards for WWI & WWII show his name as Waller. Dr. Akers married Miss Cornelia Sarah Peters of Franklin County, Virginia on the 15th of July 1910. At the time, Dr. Akers was working as a clerk for the Norfolk & Western Railway.
Dr. Akers graduated from Bridgewater College and earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1912. That same year he came to Stuart, first working with Dr. Richard Martin and later serving on the staff of Dr. Divers’ Hospital. After Dr. Divers’ death, Akers assumed full leadership of the hospital and began shaping the future of healthcare in Patrick County.
Dr. Akers formally opened the Stuart Hospital in 1925. The beginning was modest: the large rooms of the old brick home were divided into smaller patient rooms, accommodating seven or eight beds. Business grew rapidly, and within two years he added a two-story addition. Within another two years he built a second two-story addition, bringing the total to 22 beds.
By the 1950s, the hospital had become one of the most modern medical facilities in the region, with an operating room regarded as one of the best in this part of the country. Its surgical capabilities included both major and minor operations.
The hospital’s first floor housed the superintendent’s office, nurses’ rooms, doctor’s office and waiting room, kitchen, and several patient rooms. The upper floor contained the operating room, wards, sterilizing room, x-ray room, and most of the twenty beds.
Even after decades of service, Dr. Akers continually pushed for modernization. A major improvement program added updated equipment, replaced older devices, and repaired and renovated the building.
Upgrades included:
A modern electric oxygen tent, replacing reliance on the Volunteer Fire Department resuscitator
Plans to replace the steam-type sterilizer with a modern electric version
Fresh paint and redecorating of hallways and rooms
Installation of modern hospital furniture
Tiling of floors in the maternity ward
A new modern heating plant, replacing the old coal furnace with an oil furnace
Dr. Akers estimated the cost of these mid-century improvements at $6,000–$7,000, a significant investment in rural healthcare.
Dr. Akers served on the Medical Examiners Board during World War I and was later awarded a Selective Service commendation for his professional service. In church life, he was a deacon and longtime member of the board of trustees at Stuart Baptist Church. He also served as mayor of Stuart from 1944-1948 and as a member of the Town Council, taking an active role in developing the town’s civic and municipal facilities.
Professionally, he earned widespread respect as a past president of the Patrick Henry Medical Association, a member of the Medical Society of Virginia and the American Medical Association, and president of the Patrick County Medical Society. A charter member and past president of the Stuart Rotary Club, he was honored in 1956 for outstanding contributions to medicine and to the growth and development of Patrick County.
Financially, he played a major role in community stability as director and president of the Patrick County Bank for more than 30 years.
On the 27th of February 1959, Dr. W. C. Akers passed away from a heart attack at his home in Stuart. He was 75 years old. Despite suffering from a heart condition, he continued to practice until the very morning of his passing. In the census record prior to his passing, he was working 89 hours a week!
His funeral was held at Stuart Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Robert J. Mann, with burial in Stuart Cemetery.
Dr. Akers was survived by his wife, Cornelia Peters Akers, two sons—Dr. Jimmy C. Akers, D.D. S. of Stuart and Richard T. Akers of Galax—one daughter, Mrs. Charles McIntyre of Lumberton, N.C., and two brothers, Horace Chymer Akers of Alum Ridge and Newton Cannaday Akers of Cambria. Two brothers, Homer Carl Akers and Miller Cecil Akers, had predeceased him.
At the time of his death, Dr. Akers had directed the destinies of the Stuart Hospital for 34 years. He served not only as its head physician and surgeon but also as a civic leader, banker, churchman, veteran, and advocate for modern healthcare in Patrick County. Drs. W. N. Thompson and E. T. McNamee, Jr. rented Dr. Akers’ hospital on a month-to-month basis until the opening of the brand-new hospital in 1962.
Dr. Akers’ influence extended into every corner of community life. Through his decades of medical practice, public service, and unwavering commitment to improving the wellbeing of Patrick County and its neighbors, Dr. Waller Curtis Akers stands among the most revered figures in the county’s history.
In addition to birth, census, marriage, and draft registration records, information for this story was found from the March 2, 1956, Roanoke Times and the January 16, 1936, Martinsville Bulletin. For questions, comments, or ideas for stories, you may reach Woody at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.
