Mississippi State Sanatorium
| Mississippi State Sanatorium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1916 |
| Opened | 1918 |
| Closed | 1976 (as a sanatorium) |
| Current Status | Active |
| Building Style | Cottage Plan |
| Location | Magee, MS |
| Alternate Names |
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History
The Mississippi Tuberculosis Sanatorium was founded in 1916 by the Mississippi State legislature., and admitted its first patients on February 4, 1918. The facility was located on Highway 49, three miles North of Magee, Mississippi. Dr. Henry Boswell was the first Superintendent of the Sanatorium and remained so for the next forty years.
The Sanatorium originally housed all the Caucasian patients in the “white infirmary” and all the African-American patients in the “black infirmary.” This changed, when on April 21, 1968, The Mississippi State Board of Health insisted that all health facilities comply with the civil rights legislation. The Sanatorium continued to be a forerunner in providing treatment to Tuberculosis patients. Other facilities eventually opened up in neighboring areas.
In 1976, The Mississippi Tuberculosis Sanatorium was transformed into The Boswell Regional Center. It now provides treatment for Mississippians with disabilities. Today, BRC’s campus is still home to many of the original Sanatorium structures, some of which are designated as Mississippi Landmarks by the Department of Archives and History. Housed in one of those landmark buildings, the Mississippi Sanatorium Museum offers a fascinating and multifaceted look at life and times of this vital institution, through immersive narrative and biographical exhibits and artifacts. There’s even a patient room equipped with a vintage electro-surgical unit.
