Heather Bell
RADFORD – When the Scott family moves out of Radford this weekend, they will be saying goodbye to the city they’ve called home for the past 34 years, and they will also be leaving behind a slice of Radford history.
Angela and William Scott moved into 304 Eighth Street in 1990. Known as “The Simpson House,” the home was originally built in 1904 for the Simpson family. In 1919, Eliza W. Simpson died and willed the home to her four unmarried daughters: Elizabeth, Dora (Dr. Jesse Phandora Simpson), Mary and Margaret. Dr. Jesse Phandora Simpson was one of only five female physicians in the entire state of Virginia at the time and became quite notable in the medical profession. She spent 30 years traveling back and forth from Radford to Jhelum, India, serving as the Superintendent for the Jhelum City Hospital for Women and Children.
According to information supplied by Angela Scott:
Simpson was born June 11, 1866, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Radford in a family that valued education and community service, being active members of the Radford Presbyterian Church. At the age of 18, she received a Peabody Scholarship for Teaching, reflecting her academic excellence and commitment to learning.
She pursued her medical training with determination, graduating from the Pennsylvania School of Medicine for Women in 1898. This achievement was particularly significant during a time when women faced substantial barriers to entering the medical profession. Her education equipped her with the skills and knowledge that would underpin her long and impactful career.
By 1905, Dr. Simpson had become one of only five female physicians in the state of Virginia, marking her as a pioneering figure in American medicine. Her early career was characterized by her determination to overcome the challenges faced by female physicians of her era. She practiced medicine with a focus on women’s health, gaining invaluable experience that would later inform her work in India.
An article in the 1932 London Gazette reported that King George honored her dedicated service to the people of India with the prestigious Kaiser Al-Hindi Medal of Service.
Angela Scott says she is grateful to have occupied the same space as Dr. Jesse.
“I will miss living here, and my connection to Dr. Simpson’s, “Jesse’s” story,” said Scott. “The exciting uncovering of her missional medical career has been an encouraging inspiration in my final years in behavioral healthcare. Community health, faith, treating and healing those in need, bravery, courage, putting oneself out there for the good of others and for the glory of God is still needed. I will miss the house and our breath of history here, but I will most certainly miss the closeness I have felt to Dr. Simpson and her life’s story.”
“Living in this humble and historic home has been a magical adventure at times” she continued. “Our children, now grown, enjoyed the nooks and connecting spaces characteristic of Folk Victorian homes. We have found treasures of old photographs, horseshoes, medicine bottles and pottery. But it’s the connective narrative of this house and Dr. Simpson to world history that has excited and inspired us. We think of all the people who touched the same newel post that we touch going up our stairs. They experienced World War One and World War Two, Colonial India, and then its Independence. Dr. Simpson’s healing hands that touched women and children in what is now present-day Pakistan, also cooked her meals and worked in her gardens here on Eighth street. We are so thankful to have our turn in this home.”
The home is currently on the market for sale.
