- City:
- Rolla, MO
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Civic Facilities, Hospitals and Clinics
- New Deal Agency:
- Unknown
- Completed:
- 1939
Description
The Trachoma Hospital was completed in 1939 to serve the large number of patients in the Ozark region who were infected with trachoma, the leading cause of blindness at the time. Missouri was in a belt extending from Alabama to Oklahoma where trachoma was prevalent. The predominant forms of therapy were topical medications and in severe cases surgery. Interestingly, in 1937 (before the hospital was built), there was successful treatment of trachoma with oral sulfonalimides. Although this negated the need for the hospital, the start of WWII diverted available supply of these drugs to the military. In the absence of sulfonalimides, the incidence of trachoma returned to pre-war levels. The hospital was constructed to provide treatment with an older form of antibiotics as well as necessary surgeries. After the hospital was closed in the mid-50’s, the building has been used by the highway patrol and now by the University of Missouri, Rolla as a their Rock Mechanics and Explosive Research Center.
Source notes
Site originally submitted by Charles Swaney on September 15, 2014.
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Brandy L Lasmanis
Conor
Thank you for posting this. I have lived here my entire life and had no idea. I love learning the real history of my hometown. You might like to know that the zip code you have is incorrect. The actual zip code is 65401 (not 65409).
Unfortunately the University wants to demo this like many other historic buildings they own or have owned and torn down like the Bureau of Mines. This one is to be torn down in their master plans. I was in it for the first time in several years last week and they are really letting the place fall apart around the occupants. This would have been completely preventable with some maintenance but they want it to fall into such disrepair that is has to be torn down. This is an old trick of course and takes no real effort. It is still a really cool old building but I am afraid its days are numbered. Plaster is literally falling off the walls and laying on the floor. The roof leaks and trash cans/buckets collect this water.