What Are Tuberculosis Huts and Why Did Colorado Have Them?

Colorado has a lot of history, but one massive page out of the history books isn't as well known as others, and that is the state's history of tuberculosis treatment.

Prior to penicillin, tuberculosis patients flocked to Colorado for numerous reasons and often lived in what were known as tuberculosis huts.

Tuberculosis Huts in Colorado

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Many years ago, tuberculosis devastated the country and no cure was known for some time. However, it was believed that things like high altitude, clean and dry air, healthy water, and sunshine were all instrumental in fighting the disease. Consequently, Colorado became a hot spot for those that were inflicted with TB.

Colorado Springs was one of the biggest destinations for TB patients and had numerous sanatoriums.

At these sanatoriums were little huts in which the patients lived that surrounded the hospital grounds:

Where Were Colorado's Tuberculosis Huts?

As mentioned above, many of these huts were in the Colorado Springs area, namely Penrose Hospital which was once the site of Glockner Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Mount St. Francis which is where Woodmen Sanatorium once was, as well as Rock Ledge Ranch near the base of Garden of the Gods.

Patients lived alone in these small huts which consisted of a bed, a small seating area, a bathroom area, a heater, some windows, a front door, and not much else.

Luckily, the discovery of penicillin eliminated the need for places like this, but reminders of the past still stand in a few different places in Colorado.