By Charles S. Norwood
Wayne County Library
Genealogy Files

Rare is a town that can boast of five doctors from one family, three of which were serving Goldsboro at the same time.

Dr. John Daniel Spicer (1840-1908) and his wife, Emma Williams Spicer (1841-1919), moved to Goldsboro shorly after the Civil War. John Spicer was born in 1840 in Onslow County. Emma Williams, born 1841, was from Faison in Duplin County. They purchased a fine house at 207 S. Center Street in 1869 that had been built by Richard Hardy Atkinson in late 1859. Richard Atkinson was a brother of John and William Atkinson, who had also built find homes in the county near the Johnston County line.

Dr. Spicer built his office in the corner of his front yard. It served him and his sons, Dr. William and Dr. John, for almost a hundred years before it was razed to make way for a Downtowner Motel in 1965. At one time this office served as the Goldsboro Chamber of Commerce (about 1955). In 1865 the house was occupied by General Sherman's aide, General Baker.

Dr. Spicer and his wife raised a large and fine family of five boys and four girls, four of the sons becoming doctors. Dr. James Spicer (1863-1897) died at the age of 34 shortly after he returned from medical school to start his practice of medicine. Dr. John Spicer (1870-1942) served Goldsboro from 1895 to 1942 using the same office his father built on S. Center St. Dr. Will (Williams) Spicer (1879-1944) was a surgeon. He built his private hospital on the northeast corner of Carolina and Ash Street in 1910.

This building remained unoccupied after Dr. Spicer died in 1944 until it was razed in 1948. Dr. Spicer built his home at 407 W. Ash St. adjoining the sanatorium. The brick house still stands. Dr. Will Spicer lived for a short while at 700 Park Avenue (1913-1918). This house was built in 1899 by Julius F. Foust, Supertintendent of Schools. It is said to be the first house built in the Weil Subdivision on Park Avenue. Dr. Richard Spicer, the youngest son, practiced medicine in Goldsboro only a short time in the 1920s before moving to Winston-Salem where his sister, Betty Spicer Wilson (Mrs. Nat'l S. Wilson) lived with her family of ten children.

Emma Spicer married Thomas Holmes. Their children were Spicer Holmes, Tom Holmes, Jr. and Norwood Holmes. For years the Holmes made their home at 301 N. George Street at the western end of Ash Street. The large colonial house was removed in 1970 to allow the extension of Ash Street to Bypass 117. The home, originally built by John Everitt in Everittsville, was moved to Goldsboro about 1860 and was first occupied by Dr. B.F. Arrington who married into the Everitt family. It was also occupied by General Jacob Cox who joined General Sherman in Goldsboro in March, 1865.

The death of Mrs. Addie Southerland, wife of Dr. William Spicer and only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. John F. Southerland, occurred at their home in this city Wednesday night at 11:30 o'clock of Bright's disease, age 24 years. The funeral was held from the residence Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock conducted by Rev. F. W. Farries, pastor of the Presbyterian church, interment following in Willow Dale Cemetery. Mrs. Spicer was a most estimable young woman, universally held in high esteem, as was evidenced by the throng of people who attended her sad obsequies. The floral offerings were many and beautiful.