Piedmont Sanatorium facts for kids

Piedmont Sanatorium was a special hospital for African Americans who had Tuberculosis (TB). It was located in Burkeville, Virginia. This hospital opened around 1917 and closed in 1965. It was the very first place of its kind in the United States built specifically for Black people with TB. Today, the same location is home to the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital.

Understanding Tuberculosis

In the early 1900s, Tuberculosis was a very serious disease. It caused about one out of every ten deaths. People who caught TB were often sent away from their homes to special hospitals called sanatoriums. These places were meant to help people get better. Sadly, many people did not survive the illness.

Piedmont Sanatorium was built because of worries about TB spreading. Health officials were concerned about the health of everyone, including white people.

Racial Segregation and Health

In the 1910s, more people were moving to cities. This meant white and Black people lived closer together. Health officials in Virginia noticed that Black communities had higher rates of sickness and death. This included more deaths among mothers and babies.

Hard work, poor food, and bad sanitation made these health problems worse. Diseases spread easily in crowded Black neighborhoods. Often, there was a lot of garbage, untreated sewage, and no running water.

Many white families had Black people working as childcare providers, cooks, and laundresses. There was a fear that these workers might spread tuberculosis to white neighborhoods. At that time, the only places for sick Black people were hospitals for mental illness or prisons.

A group called the Negro Organization Society worked to help Black communities. They talked with the State Board of Health. A woman named Agnes Dillon Randolph was a key person in these discussions. She was a strong supporter of public health. Agnes Randolph became the leader of the Virginia Anti-Tuberculosis Association. She worked hard to convince the government to build a sanatorium for Black TB patients. In 1916, the government agreed to her request. This was a big step, as it was the first such hospital in the U.S.

Another hospital, the all-white Blue Ridge Sanatorium, was built in 1920. The city of Charlottesville, Virginia helped pay for Blue Ridge and its water supply. Piedmont Sanatorium, however, had to pay for its own well to be dug.

Patients at Blue Ridge Sanatorium could easily see doctors from the University of Virginia. But patients at Piedmont had to travel more than 50 miles to St. Phillips Hospital in Richmond, Virginia if they had other medical problems.

Finding a Place to Build

Finding a place to build Piedmont Sanatorium was not easy. The Board of Health looked all over Virginia for a suitable site. The first place they considered was in Ivor, Virginia. But local white residents strongly protested. They did not want the hospital built near them.

The committee then looked at a site in Lynchburg, Virginia. The protests there were even stronger. So, the idea of building in Lynchburg was quickly dropped.

In 1917, the committee hired a real estate agent to buy land in Burkeville, Virginia. This time, they asked some Burkeville citizens to sign a paper saying they agreed to the hospital. Still, some people in Burkeville opposed it. But the State Board of Health was tired of delays. They decided to ignore the protests and started building Piedmont Sanatorium. It was built on a large piece of land, about 300 acres.

The Negro Organization Society continued to be very involved. They helped raise awareness and donated money to improve the hospital. Money was also raised to build and equip a building for patients. This building also had rooms for visiting doctors who came to study at the Sanatorium.

Life at the Sanatorium

Life at Piedmont Sanatorium was very organized and routine. Patients woke up early for breakfast. They rested until lunch and had quiet time in the afternoon. Supper was in the evening, and bedtime was at 9:30 p.m. Some patients who were getting better were allowed to exercise.

An occupational therapist helped patients with handicraft activities. Some patients learned new skills that could help them when they returned home.

Patients also had to attend weekly talks about tuberculosis. They learned how to properly handle their sputum and other ways to manage their illness. The staff at Piedmont hoped that patients would share this knowledge with others in their home communities.

Nursing School at Piedmont

The Piedmont Sanatorium School of Tuberculosis Nursing opened soon after the hospital. It was a two-year nursing school for Black women. They could become certified in tuberculosis nursing. To become a full Registered Nurse, they needed a third year of training at St. Phillips Hospital in Richmond.

During World War II, there was a shortage of hospital staff. In 1943, Virginia Governor Colgate W. Darden Jr. suggested that Piedmont have an all-Black staff. This would free up white nurses to work in white hospitals. But this idea did not happen. Some people worried that the quality of care at Piedmont would suffer if only Black staff worked there.

The Sanatorium Closes

In 1965, a big change happened. Racial segregation was ending. Piedmont Sanatorium closed its doors. Black patients were then allowed to go to the previously all-white Blue Ridge Sanatorium. By 1967, the Burkeville facility had been changed into the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital.