NASHVILLE, TN — When Riverside Chapel celebrates its 80th anniversary Oct. 10-12, the main highlight will be remembrance of the Riverside Sanitarium and Hospital, a Black Seventh-day Adventist medical institution that played a critical role in community healthcare.
Founded in 1927 on the banks of the Cumberland River, RSH provided modern healthcare primarily to African Americans in the Nashville area who were facing discrimination in mainstream hospitals, while simultaneously attracting physicians, nurses, and patients from across the country. As the fourth Black Seventh-day Adventist medical institution in the United States, RSH helped advance medical opportunities and was a pioneer in modern medicine. When it was founded by philanthropist Nellie Druillard, Riverside Sanitarium operated in seven small cottages. In 1947, a four-story facility was built with 50 beds, offering medical, surgical, and obstetrical care. Then, in 1972, it was replaced with a new contemporary $3 million three-story hospital building with 150 beds.
However, financial hardship and the changing healthcare landscape would lead to the decline of RSH. By 1983, the Adventist Health System had closed the hospital, marking the end of an era for one of Nashville’s most significant medical institutions. But its significance and contributions have not been forgotten.
“The influence of Riverside Sanitarium and Hospital will ever remain alive in the minds of the many patients whose lives were touched by the healing obtained at the hospital,” said Bennie Thompson, director of the Riverside Historical Society and the lead organizer of the celebration at Riverside Chapel located at 800 Youngs Lane in Nashville.
The legacy of RSH continues at Riverside Chapel through programs aimed at helping the community, like blood drives, dental clinics, and the church’s food bank. There’s also a garden behind the church where fresh vegetables are harvested and added to items at the food bank. “The DNA of the church is service,” said Gordon Jones, pastor of Riverside Chapel. “And the mission of service continues to be an integral part of the mission and vision of Riverside.”
In addition to the Riverside Sanitarium and Hospital, the church will be celebrating a combined 300 years of service in healthcare, education and outreach. The celebration will kickoff on Oct. 10 with an exhibition at the Charles and Etta Dudlley Foundation at 1 p.m. that will reflect on the history of RSH, as well as the involvement of black Adventists in the civil rights movement, such as the Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C., in 1968. The exhibition will be followed by a special evening service at Riverside Chapel at 6:30 pm.
Other events include an 11:30 am worship service on Oct. 11. Then that evening at 6:30 pm, community leaders will be honored, including renowned Nashville entrepreneur and philanthropist Richard Lewis, Sr. There will also be musical performances, including the award-winning 1970s gospel choir “New World Singers,” the first Black Seventh-day Adventist gospel group to sign a national contract with an international label.
The three-day event concludes on Sunday, Oct. 12, with a 5K Run/Walk from 9 to 11 am at Shelby Bottoms Greenway at Shelby Park. Scan the QR code for more information about the 5K.
