From the archives: McCutchen Home – Vicksburg Sanitarium – Sydney Building

By Nancy Bell, Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation.

This Greek Revival residence on the southeast corner of Crawford and Monroe streets was the home of William and Lucinda McCutchen. In 1845, McCutchen was a partner in Taylor and McCutchen, a commission and grocery concern on Mulberry Street. In 1847, he was listed as a “manager” of a “Society Party.” The Daily Whig reported that “a fashionable party and juvenile ball will be given at Fraisse’s Saloon, the juvenile ball will occupy the hours of 8 and 10 o’clock and will end with the graceful Polta and the great Gallopade; immediately after which the Society Party will commence.” In 1851, Taylor was out of the company, leaving William who added more lines of goods, many from New Orleans. In 1860, he was appointed by the mayor and aldermen to a committee that would work to ensure that the “Air Line Railroad between Memphis and Vicksburg” became a reality.

During the Civil War the house was used by Major General Carter L. Stevenson as the headquarters of Stevenson’s Division, Army of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 4, 1863. If there was any question as to whether this was the house used for this purpose, it was answered when the Vicksburg Herald reported on July 1, 1903 that Major John W. Johnston had recently visited Vicksburg to confer with Captain Rigby of the National Park Commission “relative to certain matters regarding the headquarters of General C. L. Stevenson.” He affirmed that “the headquarters of Maj. Gen. Stevenson and staff during the siege of Vicksburg and prior thereto, were in the building (then a two-story one with large attic, with kitchen (one story) and servants quarters (two stories detached) now forming the front of Street’s Sanitarium.” He further states that, soon after the surrender of Vicksburg, Gen. Stevenson moved his headquarters from the building, which was then occupied for office purposes, by Gen. Frye, provost marshal of Gen. Grant’s army, except that he, Major Johnston, retained a room, for himself and clerk, he then acted as provost marshal for purpose of paroling the officers and men of Stevenson’s Division.” After the war, McCutchen was in business as a cotton factor with McCutchen, Folkes and Company.

In November 1900, the house was sold to Dr. Donald P. Street who would turn the building into “an elegant sanitarium” that will “no doubt supply the need of a much-desired institution of the kind in this city and surrounding country,” according to the Vicksburg Evening Post. On May 1, 1901, the building opened as the Vicksburg Sanitarium. The Post reported that “the twelve rooms have been newly plastered and decorated and the walls of those which are to be used as sick rooms painted instead of being papered or kalsomined. The floors have also been made as new, and covered with several coatings of a dark umber point. The high ceilings and large windows admit plenty of light and the ventilation will be perfect. The kitchen, bathroom, main surgery and operating room are supplied with every modern device or improvement, particularly the operating room with its glass tables, sterilizing apparatus for instruments, bandages, and other appliances. Dr. Street will have his office in the building, although the institution will be open to any physician for the treatment of patients, except those afflicted with contagious diseases. Miss Todd, a trained nurse from Bellevue Hospital, New York, will also be in attendance at all times.” There were also “electric call bells within reach of each bedside, and the most weak or languid patient can, with the least possible expenditure of effort, summon the surgeon proprietor, nurse, or attendant, when wanted.”

In November 1902, Dr. Street hired William Stanton and Son Architects to design an addition to the sanitarium. The Vicksburg Evening Post reported that “the sanitarium will be the best equipped in the South; it will have a complete Turkish baths and be provided with all the electric appliances for curing any and all diseases. It will be steam heated; will have mosaic tile floors and wainscoting in baths and corridors. It will be three stories high, with large basement, and will be covered with a Mansard roof, carried out over the old building. The new structure will add thirty new bed rooms, besides the bath room, linen closets, kitchen, store room, basement, and Turkish baths. The new building is 55×78 on Monroe Street, and will be added to the old building. The old and new building will be rough coated on the outside, and blocked off into stone blocks.” The project was finished by contractor F. J. McGraw on June 15, 1903 and cost $25,000. The Turkish and Russian baths were open to the public and cost $1.25 for a single visit or $12 for a dozen tickets. If you were interested in a manicure, it was 35 cents, or in a shampoo, it was 50 cents.

Dr. Street was joined in a few years by his brother, Dr. George Street, then after World War I by another brother, Dr. Augustus Street, as chief surgeon. In 1942, they invited the Sisters of Mercy to assume responsibility for their institution to insure the perpetuation of the hospital thus enabling it to serve the public indefinitely. The Sisters assumed duties on August 15, 1943, and the name was changed to Mercy Hospital-Street Memorial. In May 1957, the Sisters moved to their new hospital on McAuley. Thereafter, the old building was transformed into the Sydney Building with apartments on the first, second and fourth floors, a convalescent home on the third floor, and a restaurant. By the 1970s, a beauty shop, coffee shop, and needlecraft shop had been added. It became vacant in the 1990s and the main building burned and was demolished. The last additions to the building were demolished in 2019 because of a failed wall.