Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Miracle House

It no longer stands, but it was in Claiborne, Maryland, not far from my house. To quote:
 In 1913 the Claiborne Fresh Air Association, Inc. was formed in Claiborne, a small township on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Eastern Bay in Talbot County, Maryland and the "Miracle House" was established.

The purpose of Miracle House was to provide 10 weeks of fresh air and summer vacation for children who had been exposed by their sick parents to tuberculosis. It was considered a "preventorium"with a goal to help children that had been exposed to tuberculosis build up their resistance to TB through fresh air, nutritious food and swimming in the Bay. The facility was bought and expanded by the Maryland Tuberculosis Association (MTA) in 1919 and operated until it was closed in 1944 after the TB vaccine  was developed. The 10 week stay at Miracle House was free to children and while being run by the MTA was funded by Christmas Seals. At it's height, the facility could house up to 200 children. Food for the children was prepared by residents of Claiborne and Tilghman. (Read more.)
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