Louis QA LOOK BACK
TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM ~ FLICK STATE HOSPITAL ~ SCI PRISON
1913 ~ 2013
On a beautiful sunny morning in August 2021, I awoke to my alarm at 5 am and packed my car with my cameras, tripod, water and snacks, as well as an overnight bag in anticipation of the opportunity to visit and shoot a very cool abandoned location steeped rich in history, something I have not been able to do in several years. I hit the road at 7 am, after grabbing a coffee and adjusting my radio, finding an appropriate podcast for the 3 hour drive to the small town of Cresson, PA, just outside of Altoona, PA.
For several months I had been seeing a post on Facebook about exploring an abandoned prison that formerly housed a tuberculosis sanatorium and state hospital. Self guided tours for photo enthusiasts, urban explorers and ghost hunters were being offered by a company called Big House Produce that purchased the sprawling five hundred acre campus in 2019 to convert part of it into a hydroponic farm for a variety of crops. I immediately noticed that these events were selling out very quickly, so I sent out an email to the promoters to discuss future dates and possibly get on waiting list or to discuss a private tour. They were very gracious and returned my email very promptly. They informed me of a weekend day-time event and explained how the process worked, and was directed to a link to purchase tickets to the event. There were several options to choose from including 3 hour, 5 hour and longer time slots available for purchase. There are also overnight ghost hunt events being offered. I purchased a 3 hour tour, which I determined once I arrived at the massive complex, would probably not be long enough to explore all the buildings and grounds. But, I was happy to learn, the folks at Big House Produce, were very accommodating and open to making some adjustments and were very pleasant to work with.
After a little over a 3 hour drive, I pulled into the parking lot and headed to the gate/welcome center where I finally met the amazing person I had been corresponding with through email and text. Needless to say, she was very welcoming and gracious. Her team checked me in, gave me a few basic instructions, gave me a map and pointed out some of the more interesting buildings on the campus, and then put a bracelet around my wrist as I signed in at 10:14 am. I was in awe and so excited I had the chance to explore a creepy old place again, yet alone, an abandoned prison/sanitarium shoot!! I was recently thinking that I need to get back into exploring and add some new prints to my RUINSCAPES abandoned fine art gallery, so I was hopeful I could get a few killer shots of this historical mega location
I was able to stroll around the grounds where this massive five hundred acre mountain-top campus first came to fruition in 1911 after Pittsburg native steel-tycoon Andrew Carnegie sold the land to the state of PA for $1 if they agreed to build a TB sanatorium on the property following the death of his mother. Carnegie had originally planned to erect a mansion there for his mother where she could enjoy the health benefits of the crisp clean mountain air at 2000 plus foot elevation in central Pennsylvania. Prior to 1911 the top of Cresson Mountain was a heavily forested wilderness home to a few narrow trials used as bridle paths by summer visitors enjoying the resort town of Cresson, PA. This was one of three sites being considered by Pennsylvania’s first Commissioner of Health, Samuel G. Dixon. M.D., for a tuberculosis hospital in western PA. At that time it was widely believed that clean mountain air was especially beneficial in the treatment of tuberculosis. Construction was started in 1911 and the Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium (known as the “SAN”) was opened in 1913, although construction would not be completed until 1916. The sanatoriums lavish buildings were designed with European Tudor Revival accents including Scottish crests carved into the sandstone structure, as a reminder of Carnegie’s heritage, stone gargoyles perched atop the tower.
By 1964, advancements in medical treatments improved for patients with TB, the need for the sanatorium was becoming obsolete and the facilitates use as a TB sanatorium ended. However in 1956 the facility was incorporated into the Lawrence F Flick State Hospital, also known as the Allegheny State Hospital, which began to care for those with severe mental health disabilities including mental retardation. The government run state hospital remained in operation until December 1982 when it closed its doors, like many state hospitals did in the mid to early 1980’s. In 1983, under Executive Order of then Governor Dick Thornburgh the state hospital for the mentally ill was transferred to the Bureau of Corrections. The construction/renovations for a new modern prison at Cresson was allocated at a cost of $20.6 million and began in 1984. The activation team was created in the fall of 1986. SCI Cresson opened in 1987 becoming a medium-security prison for men housing a few notable inmates including Joseph Kallinger, serial killer and rapist, as well as John du Pont, convicted murderer.
“The whole value of solitude depends upon oneself; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it.” ~ John Lubbock, Peace and Happiness
Several of the older buildings were updated and renovated for use when the prison began in 1987. Included in the renovations were many of the older tuberculoses dorms, medical facility and kitchen. Some of the original TB and state hospital buildings had three floors, while most of the newer buildings built exclusively for the new prison were only one or two stories including the gymnasium equipped with a basketball court and weight room which were quite modern in 1986. SCI Cresson continued to operate as a medium-security mens prison until state officials announced in January 2013, the prison would be closed due to costs of maintaining the aging facility as well as an incident which occurred on April 17, 2012. The SCI Pine Grove van carrying 10 inmates and 2 correctional officers crashed. All inmates were accounted for, but the driver of the car the van crashed into died. All the inmates and 2 officers were treated for minor injuries. After sitting vacant for several years and beginning to become plagued with vandalism, the site was purchased in 2019, as stated previously, with the goal of turning it into a hydroponic farm.
This site is a must for any adventure seeker, explorer, photographer, urban explorer or ghost hunter as most of the massive site is open for self guided exploration. If a door is open and unlocked, you basically have free reign to roam wherever you please. I was supposed to go with two other individuals who unfortunately had to back out at the last minute. Being alone, I was a bit cautious exploring the deep dark recesses of these buildings. I certainly did not want to inadvertently become stuck behind a door that may have closed and locked behind me, or experience a medical emergency in some forgotten corridor on the property. Also, like a fool, I had forgotten to bring a flashlight which is a must especially to see where you are going number one, but also to get some cool light-painting effects as well. To give an idea of the enormity of this place and all the areas to explore, I was there for four hours and rarely ran into another soul inside any of the buildings. Most of the fellow explorers I bumped into were on grounds walking from building to building. I would highly recommend wearing a mask, long pants and long sleeve shirts, sturdy shoes and a headlamp. It would be a ideal to go in a small group of 3-4 individuals and have fully charged phones or handheld radios to communicate. Please see below for some cool links that explain the history of the tuberculosis sanatorium and SCI medium-security prison as well as Big House Produce and complete photo gallery!!
As of this writing, It is my understanding that Big House Produce will be offering 2 more dates in September and 2 more dates in October 2021. I will definitely be going back with a couple friends in the near future and hopefully grab some new shots of both the interior and exterior details of this amazing property, building and structures. Being both a history buff and creative, this is a win win for me. I highly recommend visiting the former Cresson TB Sanatorium and SCI Cresson if you are able !
CRESSON SANATORIUM HISTORY CAMBRIA MEMORY PROJECT
