Constructed between 1965 and 1967 in the town of Marion, the Smyth County Community Hospital was the first hospital built by the community to provide acute care to people in the region without racial discrimination. The building, constructed in a simple architectural form, embodied the latest innovations in hospital design and technology for improved efficiency, cleanliness, and patient experience. Its most notable design feature was a circular corridor plan, which marked a significant change beginning in the early 1960s regarding patient care and hospital design. Also boasting an advanced communication system, the hospital was built by the area’s most prominent architectural and engineering firm, Echols-Sparger & Associates, as one of the few International-style buildings constructed in Marion or in Smyth County.