Lima State Tuberculosis Hospital

Lima State Tuberculosis Hospital History

This hospital, originally named The District Tuberculosis Hospital, was one of the first TB hospitals to open in the state of Ohio with a capacity of 24 beds in 1911. It treated patients who ranged from seven to ninety years old, battling against the often fatal disease that plagued the nation. The average inpatient stay at Lima State was three to five years to undergo necessary treatment, and in later years was reduced to one and a half years. The original building was expanded in 1927-28, and re-modeled once again in 1957, allowing up to 138 patients. The farmland that the hospital was built on once comprised of a dormitory for nurses, a male residence, staff cottages, and a scenic pond.

In 1960 the hospital's name changed to Ottawa Valley Tuberculosis Hospital, and by 1972 the second floor was not used because of the declining number of tubercular patients. It was finally shuttered in 1973, resulting from a decision to subsidize state hospitals by the Ohio Department of Health. Plans ranging from landfill to a developmental center have been discussed over the years, but none have come to fruition. Although the hospital is rumored to have been demolished, it still stands as of November 2017.