Glenn Dale Hospital was a

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

and isolation hospital in

Glenn Dale, Maryland Glenn Dale is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 14,698 at the 2020 census. Glenn Dale is home to the Glenn Dale Hospital, an abandoned sanatorium, and th ...

, in the United States. It is a large facility, consisting of 23 buildings on , that was built in 1934 and closed in 1981 due to

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

. Includes 38 photos from 2009. Though it is now closed and may be eventually demolished, for decades it was an important public health institution near

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

. The

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. History The commission was formed in 1927 by the Maryland G ...

Park Police patrol the hospital grounds regularly.

Grounds

The hospital grounds consist of several buildings: # Children's Nurses' Home # Children's Hospital Building # Residence "D" Dormitory # Building "C" Nurses' Home # Building "F" Duplex House # Building "D" Doctor's House # Building "G" Duplex House (Superintendent's Residence) # Building "E" Doctor's House # Adult Hospital Building # Warehouse and Mechanics Garage # Heating and Power Plant # Sludge Bed Enclosure # Sedimentation and Control Building # Water Softener House # Pump House # Employee Building # Laundry # Residence "C" Dormitory # Hot House # Four Apartment Building No. 1 # Four Apartment Building No. 2 # Paint and Repair Shop # Incinerator Other parts of the hospital include: art rooms, staff housing, nurses' homes, playgrounds, theater, seclusion rooms, storage areas, chapels, morgues, and boiler rooms. The buildings are characterized by broken glass, peeling paint, corroded walls and overgrown

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...

s. Several of the buildings also have collapsed roofs. Inside the hospital

The children's hospital building and adult hospital building are the most widely explored structures by local trespassers. This is primarily due to their close distance to Glenn Dale Road, a local street that bisects the hospital grounds. Contrary to popular belief, the large

incinerator Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high ...

present on the hospital grounds was not used for the destruction of human remains. Instead, hospital waste was burned. Both the children's and adults' buildings are connected by a series of tunnels, like many sanitariums. These walkways join the basements of both buildings together. The basements of the hospital buildings are extremely dangerous and filthy. Large pieces of rusty, sharp metal, cloth and debris hang from the ceiling, and the buildings contain large amounts of

and lead paint. Each hospital basement has its own

morgue A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cu ...

. Today, these walkways are littered with garbage, broken glass, and

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

. The hospital basements are also infested with rats and bats. In addition, parts of the walkways are flooded with nearly of water.

Proposed sale

In 1994, Maryland enacted a law that requires if the grounds are sold, they are supposed to be used as a continuing care retirement community. The rest of the land is meant to be open space park land. In 1995, the

(MNCPPC) purchased the property from the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...

. Under the deed, if the MNCPPC receives more than its cost from selling the property, it must share the proceeds with the District. In June 2010, MNCPPC advertised for proposals to purchase the hospital campus "as is" with the MNCPPC retaining the surrounding . Final bids were due on September 14, 2010, but that deadline was extended to October 15, 2010. Ultimately, two bids were received, but the MNCPPC rejected both bids on the basis that neither bidder was licensed to operate a continuing care retirement community. In the meantime, the Countywide Historic Preservation Staff of MNCPPC is preparing an application to designate the hospital on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, which would make tax credits available for restoration. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 2011. In 2014, Preservation Maryland placed the Glenn Dale Hospital on its list of threatened historic properties.

"Quarantined"

The hospital was featured in an award-winning Washington Post Magazine article, "Quarantined," on Dec. 10, 2006 by Leah Y. Latimer, former staff writer and author. The article detailed Latimer's mother's hospitalization there in the 1950s and the emotional fall-out for their family from then to the present. Latimer gave a lecture on the actual grounds of Glenn Dale on October 4, 2008. It was the first time the public was allowed on the grounds in almost 30 years. The unadvertised event drew more than 150 people.

Gallery

File:Glenn Dale Hospital - Children's Hospital Building.JPG, The back of the Children's Hospital Building. File:Glenn Dale Hospital - Adult Hospital Building (side view).JPG, Side view of the back of the Adult Hospital Building File:Glenn Dale Hospital - Adult Hospital Building.JPG, The back of the Adult Hospital Building

References

External links

Glenn Dale hospital photos and history

Pictures, maps and detailed information
*

*, including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust website {{National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Buildings and structures in Prince George's County, Maryland Defunct hospitals in Maryland Glenn Dale, Maryland Hospitals disestablished in 1981 Tuberculosis sanatoria in the United States Hospital buildings completed in 1924 Hospital buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Historic districts in Prince George's County, Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Prince George's County, Maryland Colonial Revival architecture in Maryland