The Sanatorium
Feb 3, 2023
The White Plague
During the 18th and 19th centuries, an epidemic known as the “White Plague” swept across the world. Although it continued well into the 20th century, Tuberculosis (known by its abbreviation “TB” and nicknamed “consumption”, “the White Death” and “the Romantic Disease”) became largely treatable after the development of vaccines and antibiotic drugs, and had significantly dwindled by the 1950’s. In the following decades, school children started to be given the TB vaccination as part of their routine vaccine schedule, further decreasing disease occurrence within the public. Today the tuberculosis vaccine, “BCG”, is the most widely utilized vaccine, inoculating roughly 90% of children across the globe.
Tuberculosis—caused by the M. Tuberculosis bacterium strain— is an incredibly contagious infection that typically takes root in the lungs and is spread easily through aerosol droplets when an infected person sings, speaks, spits or coughs. It can cause fatigue, fever, night sweats, chills, weight loss, chest pain, persistent cough with or without blood, weakened immune system, extensive scarring of the lungs, and of course, death.
At its height, tuberculosis killed nearly 80% of those with an active infection, and as much as 90% of the population was infected by the late 1800’s. In the United States, from the 1700’s until its suppression in the mid-1900’s, TB killed one in every seven people. Children, those that smoke tobacco and those that suffer from alcoholism, diabetes, malnutrition, HIV, kidney disease or cancer are considered to be in high-risk tuberculosis groups.
Although it peaked in the 19th century, TB has been around virtually forever, with evidence of tuberculosis being found in the fossils of 500,000-year-old human bones and in the spines of mummified Egyptian remains from as early as 3,000 BC. The infamous Egyptian princess Nefertiti is believed to have died from tuberculosis and there is evidence that Egypt had its own hospitals to treat TB as early as 1,500 BC. Tuberculosis gave way to the “Sanatorium Movement” of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, when doctors gained a greater understanding of the infection, including the need to isolate the infected, offer good nutrition and provide fresh air flow.
So… yeah… M. Tuberculosis is no joke.
Waverly Hills
One of the hardest hit locations of the epidemic was Louisville, Kentucky. Tuberculosis bacteria strive in wetland environments, so the land along the Ohio River provided ideal conditions for the disease. The people of Jefferson County were severely stricken, experiencing the highest death rate in the country.
In 1910, the state of Kentucky purchased a breezy hilltop property called Waverly Hills from Major Thomas Hays, who had originally bought the land for his family home and had given it its name. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospitals, deciding to retain Waverly Hills as the property name, constructed a two-story, wooden hospital containing an administrative section and two “open-air” areas to house a maximum of 40 “early-stage” TB patients.
As the disease continued to wreak havoc on Louisville, the city decided to dedicate $25,000 to the construction of a tuberculosis hospital in order to separate the TB patients from the general admission patients at the city’s hospital. In August of 1912, all of the tuberculosis patients that were currently at the Louisville City Hospital were relocated to tents on the Waverly Hills grounds until the new construction on the Waverly Hills Sanatorium could be completed that December. This new construction, specifically built for advanced cases, allowed for another 40 patients. In 1914, a children’s section was additionally added to increase the patient count by an additional 50. This section unfortunately not only held children that were ill, but also the healthy children of patients who were admitted and could not be cared for otherwise. Remember what I said about TB being seriously contagious? ☹
Construction on the Sanatorium continued as the need for beds remained in consistent demand. By 1926, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium was a five-story building with a capacity for over 400 patients. The hospital operated until 1961, when it finally closed its doors due to the national eradication of the disease achieved through antibiotics, improvement of average living conditions and the BCG vaccine.
The Waverly Hills property reopened as a nursing home in 1962 for patients facing dementia and other mental and physical limitations and handicaps. However, being understaffed, congested, and facing reports of patient neglect, the Woodhaven Geriatric Center closed by order of the state in 1982.
After a series of failed plans were made and dropped repeatedly for the site (including conversion into a prison, then into apartments, and then into a worship center) Waverly Hills was bought by a married couple in 2001. Haunted house events, ghost tours and historical tours are currently held throughout the year, with proceeds going towards the hospital’s restoration.
The Bad, the Really Bad, and the Ghosties
While the Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built to mitigate the extreme Kentucky tuberculosis outbreak, one of its main purposes was to quarantine the infected. Sadly, this involved separating patients, including children, from their loved ones, with little to no further contact with them. Since up to 80% of those with active infections succumbed to the disease, many patients died alone, missing their families.
Some of the treatments for tuberculosis were pretty brutal. For one, to give patients “fresh air” medical staff would put them in front of giant open windows or in one of the open air pavilions, regardless of the outside temperature. Some photographs of the time even show “open air” patients covered in snow. Other treatments included some really awful “state of the art” procedures such as surgically implanting balloons in a patient’s lungs to help increase their air capacity or removing the patient’s ribs and chest muscles to give the lungs more space. Yeah, I’m not kidding. Like… I totally get that they needed to try new things, but…seriously??
Thousands of people died in the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Trying to keep the surviving patients’ spirits up, the hospital constructed a tunnel near the main entrance on the first floor to transport and remove the bodies of dead patients. With so much death and sadness in its past, it’s no wonder the hospital is said to emanate the feeling of sorrow. People have also reported hearing voices, sensing strange smells, feeling cold spots and seeing apparitions throughout.
One of the ghosts is said to be that of a young boy playing with a leather ball. It’s said that if you roll a ball down one of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium hallways, sometimes the ball will roll back to you. Other spirits seen by visitors are those of a mysterious man in white, the hospital’s chef, a little girl, and two nurses who died in room 502, both from suicide at different times. Room 502 is said to be the spot with most paranormal activity.
As of this post, tours of the Sanatorium cost 25$ per person and take about two hours; children are not allowed.
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So that is the sad history and haunting of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
Geebus… what a downer. But super creepy. I definitely want to go for a visit. I was actually in Louisville last year and totally missed it!! Urgh.
So, 25$ per person to tour Waverly Hills. And for only 100$ per person (with a minimum of 10 people) you can get yourself an 8-hour private investigation of the hospital. Sounds pretty cool! Although I could also buy a small pony for $1,000, so I’d honestly have to weigh my options.
Have a good day, friends, and may you never go to Louisville, Kentucky and completely forget to visit the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. (And make sure you send me some ghost pics!)
[DT]