Last updated on April 8, 2026
Explore the history of Cresson Sanatorium in Pennsylvania, a former tuberculosis and state hospital, and prison in the Allegheny Mountains.
At 2,500 feet in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, this sprawling complex passed through several lives: first as a tuberculosis sanatorium, then as a state hospital, and later as a prison. Its long history reflected broader changes in medicine, mental health care, and corrections in the twentieth century.
Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium formally opened in January 1913 on land once owned by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Many of its earliest buildings were designed in the Tudor Revival style. The Administration Building was the most elaborate, with gargoyles on its tower and sandstone carvings of Scottish clan crests that nodded to Carnegie’s heritage.
Early tuberculosis treatment centered on fresh air, bed rest, and a diet rich in protein and vitamins. Later, physicians used pneumothorax therapy, which intentionally collapsed part or all of a lung by introducing air into the pleural cavity so it could rest and heal. The arrival of streptomycin brought a major shift in treatment, and the drug began to be administered at Cresson in 1947, contributing to a sharp decline in tuberculosis cases and deaths.
In December 1956, the institution became Lawrence F. Flick State Hospital and shifted to the treatment of patients with severe mental disorders. In 1964, it was renamed the Cresson State School and Hospital after it began admitting patients with intellectual disabilities. During the 1970s, it became known as the Cresson Center. The facility closed in December 1982, when plans were announced to convert the campus into a prison.
SCI Cresson, a medium-security state correctional institution, opened in 1987. The prison incorporated prototype cell blocks designed to improve guard sightlines and reduce maintenance compared with older correctional designs. Several of the original tuberculosis-era buildings were retained and adapted for prison use, though the wings extending from the Administration Building were demolished. SCI Cresson closed in June 2013 because the aging complex was far more expensive to maintain than newer facilities. The Cresson Secure Treatment Unit, which operated separately from SCI Cresson, remained open until August 2016.
Today, the former sanatorium-prison complex has found yet another use. Part of the site has been repurposed by Big House Produce, an indoor hydroponic business, and the property is also open for tours and events.
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