A Brief History of the Preventorium: Architectural and Other Challenges of Preserving the Children’s Preventorium

Abstract

Beginning in the 1970s, with assessments increasing in number in the 1980s and 1990s, historic preservationists have studied sanitoriums, small and large, across the United States. Almost no attention has been given to preventoriums, which were institutions that housed those with latent or bone and joint tuberculosis. These institutions represent a significant period of American medicine and understanding this resource’s significance was the primary purpose of the thesis. It combines both architectural survey and primary resources to make the case for the future preservation and interpretation of preventoriums.