Tonsil Hospital
Did you know that Trafford once had a private hospital? For many years, the building at the corner of Brinton and 3rd Street was unofficially known as the "tonsil hospital." Lawrence & Mary McGough bought lots 302 and 304 in 1945 to build this two-story brick structure in 1948, where Dr. McGough registered his practice with the state as a "private hospital."
Dr. McGough, born in Pitcairn in 1901, received his medical degree from Georgetown University and practiced medicine in Trafford for 35 years. His wife, Mary Blystone McGough, served as the secretary for the practice. During the 1950s and 1960s, tonsillectomies were widely performed as preventive measures, but with the rise of evidence-based medicine, the criteria for these surgeries became more stringent. The couple closed the practice in 1964 and retired to Arizona.
Today, the property's use has gone from healing people to healing hobbies. The former hospital now stitches up broken models. Nodicor Hobby specializes in various hobby supplies, including model kits, paints, and accessories for hobbies like model building and slot car racing.
