Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanatorium
| Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanatorium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 1910 |
| Closed | 1973 (as a TB hospital) |
| Current Status | Active |
| Building Style | Single Building |
| Location | Birmingham, AL |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
At the urging of Reverend George Eaves and health officer Robert Harkness, an Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Jefferson County was established in 1910 and erected an infirmary, originally consisting of canvas tents on Cahaba Road in what is now English Village. The project was supported by the Birmingham Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Board of Lady Managers for Hillman Hospital (which did not admit infectious patients), the Graduate Nurses Association, and various public and private organizations. The camp on Red Mountain acted in tandem with a dispensary in downtown Birmingham. The dispensary investigated reports of new cases, referred incipient cases for treatment, and monitored former patients recovering at home. The camp itself was initially open only to white patients. It accepted its first patient in August 1910 and treated 78 people over the course of its first year, reporting good results.
In response to the rising number of cases, the Birmingham community saw the need to establish a tuberculosis hospital. Land along Lakeshore Drive was donated in 1923 and the Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanatorium officially opened in December 1925. In 1921 the Association relocated to a newly-donated 45-acre site off of Montgomery Highway in Shades Valley. A new facility, now called the Davenport Building was designed by architect Bem Price. The anticipated budget for the building was around $110,000, but when it opened on June 3, 1925 it was reported that $250,000 had been spent. A "Third Main Building" was completed adjoining it in 1937.
In 1973 the Sanatorium transitioned to Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital. Rather than hire administrators, the Board of Directors contracted Baptist Healthcare System to manage the hospital for a few years.
