Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, 2011
Dublin Core
Title
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, 2011
Alternative Title
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall
Subject
Sanford (Fla.)
Georgetown (Sanford, Fla.)
Maternity homes--United States
Houses and homes
Description
The home of Reverend John R. Hurston, the father of Zora Neale Hurston, in 2011. Later, Marie Jones Francis, the "midwife of Sanford," converted the house to also serve as a maternity ward, where she delivered over 40,000 babies over her 32 year career. Francis became a midwife in the same vein as her mother, Carrie Jones, and together they ran the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall in Georgetown.
Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Francis served her community in several ways. She delivered babies for both white and black families from Seminole County, primarily patrons who either preferred natural births or could not afford deliveries at a hospital. In the 1950s, it cost $70 to stay nine days where soon-to-be mothers were taken care of. Francis was assisted by her sister, Annie Walker, who did the cooking. The house and ward also served as a school, where Marie Francis taught nurses the art of midwifery. Nurses would come from across the state to learn how to delivery infants naturally. A heavy burden on a single working mother, Marie Francis had three daughters, Cassandra Clayton, Daphne Humphrey, and Barbara Torre. Clayton and Humphrey became school teachers and Torre became a purchaser at Seminole Memorial Hospital.
Creator
Firpo, Julio R.
Source
Original color digital image by Julio R. Firpo, April 26, 2011.
Date Created
2011-04-26
Is Part Of
Marie Jones Francis Collection, Georgetown Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
286 KB
Medium
1 color digital image
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, Georgetown, Sanford, Florida
Accrual Method
Item Creation
Mediator
History Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Julio R. Firpo and publisheded by RICHES of Central Florida.
Rights Holder
Contributing Project
Curator
Firpo, Julio R.
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Dickinson, Joy Wallace. “A Very Rich Trail: Florida’s Black Heritage is Celebrated in an Updated and Expanded State Publication." The Orlando Sentinel, February 24, 2008, J1. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/02/24/3287685.htm.
Moore, Stacy. "Midwife on Job Here 32 Years." The Little Sentinel, April 4, 1979, 26.
Jeria, Michelle. "Sanford'S Birth Place: Marie Jones Francis Delivered More than 40,000 Babies in Her Sixth Street Home." The Sanford Herald, Feb 16, 2003, 1C.
Flewellyn, Valada Parker, and the Sanford Historical Society. African Americans of Sanford. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2009.
"Oral History of Daphne F. Humphrey." Interview by Julio R. Firpo. Home of Daphne F. Humphrey. April 8, 2011. Audio record available. RICHES of Central Florida.
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1 color digital image
Collection
Citation
Firpo, Julio R., “Jones-Francis Maternity Hall, 2011,” RICHES, accessed April 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2953.