Centra Southside Community Hospital was originally a foundation experiment to determine if proper health care could be provided in a rural setting. Construction and operating grants were made possible by the Commonwealth Fund of New York. In July 1926, the Farmville Manufacturing Company was awarded the construction contract and by November 1927 Centra Southside Community Hospital had opened its doors to patients. The original 40-bed hospital cost $180,000 to build and equip. That expenditure, minimal by today's standards, has proven to be a wise investment.