Asheville’s 1.7-mile Urban Trail is a walk through Asheville’s history. The walk is in five sections representing periods in the life of the city. Station #6, The Blackwell Memorial, is in the Gilded Age (1880-1930) section. You will find it on the side of the Wachovia Bank Building on Patton Avenue. It is a metal bower of medicinal herbs which houses a bench and head of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, a former Asheville resident. A pioneer in medicine for women and children, she was the first woman awarded a medical degree in the United States.
According to the accompanying plaque on the Trail, before enrolling in the Geneva Medical College in western New York, Elizabeth Blackwell began her medical studies in Asheville in 1845 under Dr. John Dickson. She had taught music at Dickson’s private school for girls. The school was located on the site of the Drhumor building.
The bronze representation of Dr. Blackwell was sculpted by Jim Barnhill. The plaque and artwork were funded by the Buncombe County Medical Auxiliary and Buncombe County Medical Society.
Blackwell’s career choice was remarkable in that at the time it was considered inappropriate for a woman. She was rejected by 29 medical schools before being admitted to Geneva Medical College in 1847. The faculty had been opposed to her application but decided to put the issue to student body and pledged to abide by their decision. Surprisingly, they voted yes. According to her biography on the website of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, there are two possible reasons for the vote outcome:
Either the young men of the medical school thought that the members of the faculty were joking when they said that a woman had applied and so they joined in the joke by voting yes, or the students knew that the faculty was genuinely troubled and thought it would, therefore, be hilarious to vote to admit the woman applicant. In any event, from that supposed joke came Elizabeth’s opportunity, which she seized with determination and ultimate success.
She graduated two years later, January 23, 1849, at the head of her class. Among others her accomplishments included:
Authoring The Laws of Life, with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls in 1852.
Founding the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.
Starting the first Women’s Medical College.