C.C. Barnett

Founder of Barnett Hospital

Clinton Constantine “C.C.” Barnett completed his early education in the Huntington area before receiving his medical degree from Howard University.

He returned to Huntington to practice medicine, where in 1912 he achieved his dream of founding a hospital owned and operated entirely by African Americans. In 1918, the hospital expanded to include a nursing school run by his wife, Clara. At that time, although several medical schools accepted African American students, many hospitals refused to train black interns, and there were even fewer integrated nursing schools. In 1930, Dr. Barnett leased his hospital to the City of Huntington, and it was renamed the City Hospital. After serving both black and white patients during the Great Depression, the City Hospital closed in 1939 and the building was sold to the General Laborers Union Local 543, who occupied it until 2007.

In 2008, the former hospital was purchased and subsequently added to the National Register of Historic Places. Although plans were announced to remodel the building into apartments, the status of this project is currently unclear.