Carbonear's first hospital sits in a state of disrepair

If you drive past downtown Carbonear to the Crockers Cove area, you'll come across a now dilapitated building between Water Street and Burnt Head Road.

The building was home to the Carbonar Hospital in its early years. In 1957, Dr. Augustus Rowe founded Carbonear's first hospital, the Carbonear Community Hospital. He led the efforts to raise approximately $37,000 to establish the new hospital.

Rowe served as the director of Carbonear Community Hospital from its opening in 1957 until October 1971. He resigned after becoming an MLA. Rowe was appointed as health minister within the cabinet of Premier Frank Moores from January 1972 to 1975.

He retired from politics in 1975 to pursue family medicine and later joined the faculty of Memorial University.

The building served as the hospital until the Carbonear General Hospital opened on the other side of Carbonear in 1976. At that time, the building was converted into a nursing home, which it remained until its closure in 2016.

Today, the building sits overgrown and showing its age. There was some chatter in 2024 that the building could be converted into affordable housing, although no announcement was made.