A Prison and Tuberculosis Hospital

I was able to explore an interesting location recently…the abandoned SCI Cresson Prison near Altoona, Pennsylvania.  The State closed down the Correctional Institution in 2013 and as of 2022, Big House Produce operates an indoor hydroponic farm in some of the old buildings.

Originally, a Tuberculosis Hospital operated here from 1913 - 1956.  The hospital was then used as a Mental Institution until 1982.  It’s a huge, sprawling property with dormitories, cell blocks, medical, school, auto tech, and a chapel.  There are even tunnels snaking through the property connecting the buildings. Many of the original buildings are elaborate and built in a Tudor style. The prison was run here from 1987 - 2013.

Edwin Shaw

Back in the fall of 2016 I was headed to a wedding reception in Lakemore, OH when I happened to pass by an amazing looking vacant hospital on the appropriately named, Sanitarium Rd. A little research and a few weeks later I was parked in front of the abandoned Edwin Shaw Hospital ready to explore.

The hospital originally opened in 1915 as the Springfield Lake Sanitarium for tuberculosis patients. The sprawling grounds consists of several buildings, including the Sunshine Cottage where sick children lived and were cared for, and a cemetery.

The last used section of the hospital was abandoned in 2016 and as I write this in early 2017, the county plans on demolishing the property.