Pembroke Sanatorium

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Established 1902
Opened 1904
Current Status Demolished
Building Style Cottage Plan
Location Pembroke, NH
Alternate Names
  • Pembroke Sanatorium for Consumptives



History[edit]

The Pembroke Sanatorium Company held its first meeting in January of 1902. It was founded by three local men who established a group for the treatment of tuberculosis patients. The President of the group was Dr. O. B. Douglas, the secretary and Officer in Charge was Dr. H. T. Fontaine, and the treasurer was Ernest Fontaine. Several years later, the group founded the sanatorium, which opened its doors in 1904. The weekly charge for treatment was $15 when the facility first opened.

According to the 1904 edition of the "Journal of Outdoor Life," the sanatorium sat on 34 acres of pine woodland which was "especially favorable to the cure of tuberculosis." The property contained several wooden structures, built with the intention of maximizing patient's exposure to fresh air. The main building contained a "large reception room, dining room in connection with a spacious kitchen, a sun room, offices, and facilities for hydro-therapy." Patients' sleeping quarters were arranged to face the south, increasing sunlight exposure. The buildings were heated by steam, and bathrooms contained modern plumbing with running water. Many of the buildings had electric lights.

The institution also featured an "abundant supply of pure water from a large well, drilled out of solid rock and furnishing a practically inexhaustible supply." Water was pumped by an engine and was directed to modern hydrants in case of fire.

Around the main building, several wooden "camps" were erected for an "open-air life." The camps, made out of pine has fronts that were entirely open to the air and sunshine. Each contained a bed and a wood stove for use during the winters.

The facility boasted round the clock care by an on site physician who prescribed "diets, rest, exercise, baths, and medicines." [1]

Images of Pembroke Sanatorium[edit]

References[edit]

  1. "Journal of Outdoor Life: National Tuberculosis Association. Trudeau, NY, 1904.