Wendover, also known as Frontier Nursing Service or Big House, is a historic house and former medical care facility near

Hyden, Kentucky Hyden is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Leslie County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 365 at the 2010 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 421 and Kentucky Route 80, along the Middle Fork of the K ...

. Built in 1925, it is notable for its association with the American effort to professionalize

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

, led by Mary Breckinridge (1881–1965). It was headquarters of the

Frontier Nursing Service The Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) provides healthcare services to rural, underserved populations since 1925, and educates nurse-midwives since 1939. The Service maintains six rural healthcare clinics in eastern Kentucky, the Mary Breckinridge H ...

, an organization which continues today. Wendover was named a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1991 for this role. It now serves as a bed and breakfast inn and retreat operated by the Service's successor,

Frontier Nursing University Frontier Nursing University is a private graduate school of nursing in Versailles, Kentucky. It was established by the Frontier Nursing Service in 1939 as the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. History Frontier Nursing University ...

Description and history

Wendover is located in a rural setting about south of Hyden, Kentucky on a south-facing hillside, overlooking the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. The principal building of the complex now on the property is a -story log structure covered with gabled roofs. It is roughly laid out as two wings joined by a central section, having begun as a traditional

dogtrot house The dogtrot, also known as a breezeway house, dog-run, or possum-trot, is a style of house that was common throughout the Southeastern United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some theories place its origins in the southern Appala ...

. Two large stone chimneys project through the main roof line. Windows are typically of the casement style, with larger windows in the more public spaces of the ground floor. Mary Breckinridge, a Tennessee native, was exposed from a relatively early age to both midwifery and nursing, formally studying the latter in the early 1900s. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

she was exposed to rural community health services in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, an idea she thought to transfer to rural parts of the United States. She chose rural eastern Kentucky in part for its daunting logistical difficulties. Wendover became her home and a training facility for a network of clinics she established in the region. The Frontier Nursing Services is now based out of facilities in Hyden, and its training service is now

. with The Wendover property now serves as a retreat center and bed-and-breakfast inn.

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References

{{National Register of Historic Places University and college buildings completed in 1925 National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Leslie County, Kentucky 1925 establishments in Kentucky Dogtrot architecture in Kentucky Log buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Midwifery in the United States Bed and breakfasts in Kentucky History of nursing Healthcare in Kentucky Education in Leslie County, Kentucky

Description and history

See also

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References