GLEN DALE, W.Va. – The contents of the Fitness Center and Nurse’s Residence at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital will be auctioned off at 10 a.m. on March 30 in the Beebe Habig Room at the Hospital.
Reynolds Memorial Hospital began as God’s Providence Home, an old farmhouse converted to an infirmary by B.M. Spurr, archdeacon of the West Virginia Episcopal Diocese. In 1899, Archdeacon Spurr founded the hospital through funding provided by Emily Van Buren Reynolds, daughter of U.S. President Martin Van Buren, in memory of her husband and sons.
When the current facility was constructed in 1963, the original building became the home of the B.M. Spurr School of Practical Nursing and student dorms. It has since been nicknamed the “Nurse’s Residence.” Since the school was moved inside the hospital, the building has been used as hospital storage and a community Fitness Center.
Since joining WVU Medicine in 2016, Reynolds has continued to make capital investments behind the scenes, updating and adding additional services and bringing in new specialists.
With the rapid growth of the hospital, limited parking has become an issue for patients. By removing the building, the hospital will add much-needed parking, including additional handicapped spaces.
“It’s nice to walk into work every morning and see the parking lot full,” David Hess, M.D., president and CEO of Reynolds Memorial Hospital, said. “Our priority is the patient experience. We want to make sure that we have enough parking available and each patient has easy access to the hospital.”
Items to be auctioned off include exercise and weight-lifting equipment from the Fitness Center, as well as metal lockers, metal shelving units, metal desks, wood trim and doors, windows, stainless steel pieces, copper, electric wire, down spouts, and more.
Proceeds of the auction, which will be conducted by Behm’s Auction and Real Estate Services, will be donated to the Reynolds Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
In order to prepare for the auction, the Fitness Center will close at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27. Those with questions about their membership should call 304-843-3287.