Muirdale Tuberculosis Sanatorium
Encyclopedia
Muirdale Tuberculosis Sanatorium, also called Muirdale Tuberculosis Hospital, was built in 1913 by Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. It was located near the corner of Highway 100
and Watertown Plank Road in Wauwatosa
and named after noted Wisconsin naturalist John Muir
. Maximum capacity in 1923 was 350 patients, but in later years this figure rose to over 600, including a 100-bed Children's Cottage, or Preventorium, devoted to the treatment of young children.
Muirdale ceased treating tuberculosis
patients in the 1960s and, although the main structure still remains, many of the outlying buildings and "cottages" were razed. It was renamed Rehab West in the 1970s and functioned as a care facility for elderly persons with mental illnesses but was permanently closed in 1978. The facility, which had been slated for destruction in June 1992, was saved due to the efforts of historical preservationists and is now being used as part of the Milwaukee County Research Park, a business incubator
. It is now known as the "Technology Innovation Center" and is listed on a registry of haunted landmarks.
The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Library has three videocassettes in its archives of motion picture film taken by Eugene Millmann between 1926-1972. The clips, mostly shot during the 1920s and 1930s in both B&W and color, were transferred to videotape from the original 16mm film and include footage of Muirdale Sanatorium.
Highway 100 (Wisconsin)
State Trunk Highway 100 is a road which encircles the outer edges of Milwaukee County...
and Watertown Plank Road in Wauwatosa
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and was incorporated on May 27, 1897. As of the 2006 census estimate, the city's population was 44,798. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area...
and named after noted Wisconsin naturalist John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
. Maximum capacity in 1923 was 350 patients, but in later years this figure rose to over 600, including a 100-bed Children's Cottage, or Preventorium, devoted to the treatment of young children.
Muirdale ceased treating tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patients in the 1960s and, although the main structure still remains, many of the outlying buildings and "cottages" were razed. It was renamed Rehab West in the 1970s and functioned as a care facility for elderly persons with mental illnesses but was permanently closed in 1978. The facility, which had been slated for destruction in June 1992, was saved due to the efforts of historical preservationists and is now being used as part of the Milwaukee County Research Park, a business incubator
Business incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
. It is now known as the "Technology Innovation Center" and is listed on a registry of haunted landmarks.
Research materials
The Milwaukee County Historical Society retains some records related to Muirdale, including historical information, annual reports published in 1922 and 1966-1970, audit reports from 1963-1974 and a two-volume patient registration record listing the names of all those admitted to the sanatorium between 1941-1962.The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Library has three videocassettes in its archives of motion picture film taken by Eugene Millmann between 1926-1972. The clips, mostly shot during the 1920s and 1930s in both B&W and color, were transferred to videotape from the original 16mm film and include footage of Muirdale Sanatorium.