Gilded Age Norfolk, Virginia: Tidewater Wealth, Industry and Propriety (None) by Spainhour Jaclyn

Author:Spainhour, Jaclyn [Spainhour, Jaclyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2015-05-11T04:00:00+00:00

Clockwise from top left : James Wilson Hunter. Courtesy of the Hunter Foundation ; Lizzie Ayer Barnes Hunter. Courtesy of the Hunter Foundation ; The Hunter children: Harriet (left), James Jr. (center) and Eloise (right). Courtesy of the Hunter Foundation . Dr. James Wilson Hunter Jr. Courtesy of the Hunter Foundation .

While residents in the home, the children were well educated and became very involved in the local community. Harriet and Eloise were both educated at the Phillips and Wests’ School for Girls in Norfolk, where they were taught the subjects deemed appropriate for young ladies of their standing. They were regular attendees at Sunday service at nearby Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk once the two churches combined forces. They were also very involved in genealogical and heritage-based organizations like the Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Huguenot Society. 104 . They remained active in all these organizations until their deaths in the mid-twentieth century.

James Wilson Hunter Jr. experienced a very different life than Harriet and Eloise. James was educated at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, as a youth. When the family moved into the home, James was attending this school. Following high school, James attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Here, he received a bachelor of arts and master of arts, both in 1899. He also did more graduate work at the University of Virginia, graduating with his medical doctor (MD) degree in 1901. He then attended Harvard, where he pursued his postgraduate education. By 1901, he had become a certified doctor and was categorized as a general practitioner, cardiologist and radiologist. 105

James continued his blossoming career under the guidance of local doctor Southgate Leigh, whose family was well known and loved and whose aunt Sara Leigh now has a hospital named after her in Norfolk. Once he finished this period of professional guidance, James opened his own practice in downtown Norfolk, where he remained for the majority of his life. His medical practice was only interrupted as World War I broke out and he joined the army. He is listed as a member of the Medical Advisory Board, no. 3, which indicates he was active from May 18, 1917, to March 31, 1919. During this period, he also served as captain of the Medical Corps from November 5, 1918, to January 6, 1919.

When not involved with his practice, James, like his sisters, gave much of his time to genealogical, service and heritage-based organizations. He was part of the Society of the Cincinnati, the American Legion and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, among others. All three children enjoyed researching their heritage and tracing their family genealogy, as well as reading and discovering nature. They probably spent many afternoons together engaged in these activities as both children and adults. Seeing as they spent their entire lives together, it would be a mistake to suggest they were not close.

By 1931, James Wilson Hunter had passed away, followed by his wife, Lizzie, in 1940.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.