One could argue that today’s Delnor actually began its history in 1908 as Colonial Hospital when when Dr. Raymond Scott originally founded it on Third Street in Geneva.

By 1925, the facility had outgrown its building (in which Scott and his wife also lived), requiring patients to be moved to the newly opened Community Hospital on Second Street — what is now the present-day Dodson Place.

Delnor Hospital opened in 1940 with 25 beds on Fifth Avenue in St. Charles, taking its name from its biggest supporters, Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris. They weren’t just generous donors — they also left a lasting mark on the city’s cultural scene (where do you think the Norris Cultural Arts Center got its name?).

“Growing up, it truly was a community hospital. When a neighbor had a baby, my mom would drive me over and we’d look in the viewing window to see the new babies,” one reader recalled. “You saw the doctors around town and would have a chat. The interiors were designed by Dorothy Draper, a rather famous New York designer, a friend of Dellora. It felt comforting and safe in a way.”

Delnor Hospital and Community Hospital merged in 1986 (page 5 of this issue) to form Delnor-Community Hospital. The current Randall Road campus opened in 1991.

Check out some video footage of the original hospital construction courtesy of the St. Charles History Museum.

Here’s a timeline featuring dates of other key hospital milestones.

📖 Thanks for reading

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