The hospital, known as Waverly Hills, was opened in 1926 and was considered to be the most advanced tuberculosis hospital in the country. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, Waverly Hills was the place to come for treatment. Of course, treatment in those days was primitive at best, meaning that many simply came here to die. In those days, it was believed that the best cure for tuberculosis was plenty of nutritional food, plenty of rest and plenty of fresh air. Many patients came to Waverly and were actually cured and became well enough to once again enter society. For those not as fortunate, Waverly was the last place they ever saw. Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. At the height of the tuberculosis epidemic, it is reported that one patient an hour died.
I did not go inside, this was as close as we could get without getting a $5,000 fine!
For more information visit //www.underworldtales.com/waverly.htm
How interesting! I love reading about this stuff. I actually live in a part of Phoenix that used to be a TB colony. That was when you could still breathe the air.
A lovely shot of a piece of history - interesting and sad tale that accompanies the place. The gold of the foreground grass really adds to this, setting off the red brick and the gray sky.
very intersting write up ... and somehow i reckon you've captured the very essence of the place .. the trees in the foreground give a very sombre and eerie feel to this photograph because they have no leaves, they contribute to the feeling of desolation that i get from this image ... the overcast sky also adds to the feeling .. i love your composition .. just excellent ..
Kat, that is FASCINATING! I went to the website and read all about it. I do believe that a place that has had such horror within its walls can leave behind very tangible spirits. I can almost feel them as I look at this photo.
Wow! I'm glad you shared that with us. It is extremely interesting. And, incredibly sad to think about how much sorrow occurred there.
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