Cresson Sanatorium: A Chilling Exploration

The Cresson Sanatorium turned Cresson State School and Hospital turned SCI Cresson has now turned over another new leaf as Big House Produce. The grounds have a long history, nearly 110 years. The land has seen sickness, death and violence over this time. This weekend we explored what is left of the buildings. Read on to find out more about the history and view some haunting photographs.

Consumed by Consumption

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bacteria that has plagued man-kind for thousands of years. It is believed that the genus of mycobacterium originated 150 million years ago.

Ancient India and China had written documents describing the disease. Ancient Egyptian and Peruvian mummies showed evidence of TB. There are even passages in the Bible that mention the illness. The disease was found world wide before man was easily traversing the ocean.

What’s in a Name

TB has gone by many names including: consumption, scofula, tabes, phthisis, schachepheth (Hebrew) and white plague (due to anemic pallor). TB most commonly affects the respiratory tract, however it can also infect the gastrointestinal tract, bones, joints, nervous system, lymphnodes, geritourinary tract and skin.

Treatment

Before TB could even be identified in a person, the only treatment was taking long walks and chopping a cord or two of wood per day. In 1854 the Sanatorium Cure was touted to be the best way to cure the disease. The new treatment involved physical and mental rest. It would take around ten years to cure a patient under these circumstances. Many still died though.

Dr. Edward L. Trudeau opened “The Little Red Cabin” at Sarnac Lake in 1884. This would grow into the Adirondack Cottage Sanatorium. This was the start. More than 700 sanatoriums would be built in the US. The Cresson Sanatorium was one of the larger and better known facilities.

Robert Koch isolated TB in patients sputum using methylene blue staining in 1882. Doctors could now diagnose patients accurately. X-rays were eventually crucial to diagnosing TB.

Rest was the go-to therapy in sanatoriums. Eventually, healthcare evolved and collapse therapy was introduced. This would involve collapsing the lung for a short time to allow it to heal. As science evolved and shifted, new antibiotics were created. They started being administered at sanatoriums. Today, a powerful cocktail of four antibiotics is the standard treatment. TB is still a concern. In 2020, 10 million fell ill with the disease and 1.5 million people world-wide died of tuberculosis.

The San: The Cresson Sanatorium

‘The San’, as the Sanatorium was called by the residents, was in operation from 1913 to 1964. How did this massive 500 acre complex come into being?

Serene Surroundings and Abundant Clean Air

At the turn of the century, Andrew Carnegie purchased a large tract of land with the intention of building a home for his mother. Before construction could begin, she died and he gave up the project. The land sat unused.

Around that time Samuel G. Dixon M.D., PA’s first Commissioner of Health, was looking for a place in Western PA to build a tuberculosis sanatorium. Carnegie agreed to sell the 500 acre lot for $1.00. He sold for such a cheap price under one condition: they use the land for the building of a TB sanatorium. The land sale occured in 1911.

Construction Began

Construction began in 1912. The first buildings completed were the Administration/Dining building and the East Wing which was the hospital wing. A power house, barn and poultry house were also completed. The first patients arrived in December 1912. The Cresson Sanatorium officially opened in January 1913.

Twenty cottages with four open pavillions were completed in June of 1913. This provided living spaces for the healthier TB patients.

As more patients began to arrive more buildings were constructed. In 1914, the chapel was built. The West Wing containing the men’s hospital and an addition to the dining building were also constructed. The addition to the dining building added more kitchen and dining space as well as quarters for nurses.

In 1921 more cottages went up as well as a play house for children. At one time more than 250 children were living at ‘The San’, so they built a couple of school houses. A garage and a large hall for entertainment were also constructed.

The coming of the 1930’s brought new advancemments in the treatment of TB. These new advancements inspired new construction. A surgical suite was added. World War II stopped construction for a few years. Once supplies were available again, more additions were added to buildings

In 1952 the x-ray department got a make-over. X-ray’s had been used here since 1921.

Transitions Begin

In 1956 the Cresson Sanatorium was incorporated into the Lawrence F. Flick State Hospital. The hospital specialized in treating patients with severe mental disorders. In 1964, the name changed to the Cresson State School and Hospital. At this time, the facility added the treatment of various intellectual disabilities.

In 1983 the facility was changed again to the SCI Cresson. Construction and remodeling was completed in 1987. It operated as a prison until 2013. During it’s time as a prison, the buildings saw multiple suicides and even housed a serial killer.

Once the prison doors were shut the land laid dormant. It was eventually purchased by a private owner. Big House Produce currently runs a hydroponic farm in some of the buildings. They are actively attempting to save and preserve the buildings and history of this spooky location.

The Haunting of the Cresson Sanatorium

Big House Produce has opened the grounds to visitors. Interested in visiting? Head over to their Facebook page. Visitors can do self-guided day tours, or spend the night with Ghost Hunt USA doing ghost investigations.

During the first fifty years of operation, the sanatorium treated more than 38,000 patients. Death was bound to happen when treating tuberculosis. Thousands of people came through suffering pain, depression and perhaps death. Afterwards the facility became a state school and hospital. This brought new emotions and energy to the land. Prison’s are well known for the intense emotions especially anger and violence.

The intense emotions, pain and sudden deaths are all ingredients suspected in creating a haunting. So if you’re feeling brave, sign up for a visit and explore. The buildings are safe, though some are in rough shape. There is no electricity, so if you want to go into the basements or tunnels you must take a flashlight.

Other Spooky Tales

Are ghosts your thing? Read my blog on The Lady in White tales. Missed last weeks post on pumpkin patches and cemeteries? Visit here.