Ask anyone who's been here awhile about this one.
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Colorado Springs and "the cure"
Gold and cheap land may have brought people to the Springs but thousands were later attracted by the dry, sunny, "salubrious" climate (credit to Marshall Sprague for that word). The rich and poor alike who had succumbed to TUBERCULOSIS sought relief in Colorado Springs. There were many hospitals and clinics which specialized in treating those with TB. The most noted of these--Glockner Sanitorium (later PENROSE Hospital), Memorial Hospital, the CRAGMOOR Sanitorium (now UCCS) and the Sunny Vista Hospital and, of course, the WOODMEN Hospital---brought the cure to thousands of sufferers. Numerous smaller residential facilities dotted the city as well and the iconic GARDiNER"cottages" remain as a reminder of our city's important past as a center for recovering "lungers".
Here's the interior of a well-preserved TB cottage on North Corona. Compare it to the historic photo from the Penrose Local History collection of a similar cottage in the early 20th century. The cottages were designed to be independent, solitary living quarters for patients. The hexagonal wooden cottages had iconic peaked roofs which afforded thorough ventilation. Each cottage contained a water closet, chest of drawers, bedframe and eating space. The Woodmen Sanitorium had centralized dining facilities where nutritious, balanced meals were served.
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