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Newhills Convalescent Home and Sanitorium
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Newhills Convalescent Home and Sanitorium

Historic Photographs
David Oswald
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Newhills Convalescent Home and Sanitorium
Historic Photographs
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Newhills Convalescent Home and Sanitorium
A group portrait of patients and staff at the Newhills Convalescent Home and Sanatorium in the 1930s.

The Newhills Convalescent Home was founded by Christian Catherine Smith in 1874. She was the wife of Rev. James Smith, the minister of Newhills Parish Church. The couple lived in the nearby church manse. Christian grew up in North Ayrshire and demonstrated concern for the welfare of others from a young age.

Christian married James Smith on 14th April 1869 and it was shortly after arriving in the parish that she recognised the potential of the place as somewhere ill people could come to rest and regain their health. The convalescent home was subsequently started at Dykeside Cottage. It was a great success and operated at this location for 7 years.

Annual newspaper reports on the home described its purpose as being for "the benefit of respectable persons in humble life who appear to be failing into dishealth, or are convalescing after non-infectious ailments."

In 1908 Christian Smith stepped down as head of the home due to ill health and was replaced by a publicly elected executive board. This was led for many years by Dr. Walter A. Reid and during his tenure the institute was modernised and extended.

In 1948 the home was incorporated into the National Health Service. Due to issues of staffing and its unsuitability during winter, the decision was taken to close the home. Patients were transferred to other local hospitals and in the same year the home was sold to Aberdeen Town Council.

The buildings were subsequently operated as a home for the elderly and homeless until March 1980 when it was sold into private hands.

After leaving the manse in 1917, Christian Catherine Smith, the founder of the home, lived at 2 West Craibstone Street. She died there on 6th December 1924 aged 81. She was buried at Newhills Church and the then minister Rev. Andrew Currie led a memorial service. He described the Newhills Convalescent Home as "an institution not only for the healing of bodies, but a place for the comfort of hearts and the cure of souls." Christian Smith's name can still be seen today in one of the church's stained-glass windows.
Newhills
Health
TR14_04
Aberdeen Local Studies
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