Paris Tuberculosis Hospital

Constructed from 1946 to 1948, the Paris Tuberculosis Hospital serviced the Paris, Kentucky region for about 15 years before the threat of the disease finally diminished. Similar buildings were constructed across the state in smaller cities such as Ashland and Owensboro.

History

On June 14, 1950, the Paris Tuberculosis Hospital was dedicated on the outskirts of the Bourbon County, Kentucky seat.(1) An estimated 1,500 attended the opening ceremonies. The third such facility in the state constructed with others in Ashland, London, Madisonville and Glasgow, the 100-bed facility was designed to “solving the tuberculosis problem” although a solution to that was still unknown, according to Commissioner of Health Bruce Underwood. An estimated 1,500 died each year from the disease.

According to Underwood, the 100-bed hospital would be wholly inadequate to care for more than a small portion of the tubercular cases needing treatment in the 20-county area the facility was designed to serve upon opening.(1) By law, the beds in the hospital must be allotted to the counties on a population basis, and some counties that have high tuberculosis rates would only receive two or three beds in the hospital.

By July 1, process work began on patient applications.(1) Governor Clement stated that the new state biennial budget provided $2.7 million for administrative and operational costs of the hospitals. On July 20, it was disclosed that the sanatorium would receive its first patients on Monday, July 24.

The tuberculosis hospital closed in the late 1970s and it was proposed in the late 1980s of converting the building into an apartment complex for the elderly.(1)