South Carolina's history with plagues is no more apparent than it is in the ruins of the long-shuttered tuberculosis sanatorium now boarded up, abandoned, and decaying in a wooded, vine-covered area of a health complex in Columbia, known as State Park. It was here in 1938 that a new sanatorium opened, providing 238 much-needed beds for those suffering from the infliction of this condition with no cure. For many, being diagnosed with TB was a death sentence, but at the very least it meant being sentenced to quarantine at one of the state's scattered "sans," short for sanatoriums. But even those were often overcrowded and the wait time was insufferably long. Come along as we explore this sad, in many ways, yet also fascinating South Carolina tuberculosis sanatorium that is so much a part of the state's history.

In 1938, the state built a new tuberculosis sanatorium seven miles north of Columbia. Here, patients would spend up to three years in quarantine.

Reading about an abandoned South Carolina sanatorium might sound a bit depressing, but the story behind it reveals a lot about the mindset around mental health issues back in the day. Statistics from the time period reflect that nearly one in three (29%) wouldn't make it out alive.

Soon, even the new facility was overrun with TB patients.

Beds were set up just about everywhere, including the hallways. This is definitely a different practice than what you’d find in today’s hospitals.

A cure for TB wouldn't be developed until the 1950s. Until then, the revolving door of patients admitted to State Park saw more than its fair amount of use.

That is because nearly every family in the state had a member afflicted with the painful and deadly illness. After successful treatments with new drugs were developed in the 1950s, the hospital eventually declined and the state finally closed the facility in 1983.

Today, this abandoned hospital in South Carolina sits quietly.

As time has gone by, it has continued to decay in plain sight and is covered in vines and masked in places by trees.

Paint peeling and metal rusting...The Sanatorium at State Park is beautiful in a way.

It seems to scream with the souls of the thousands of TB patients that passed through here over the years, either on their way back home, or to a higher place

To see more of the sanatorium, both in its prime and present-day, watch the following YouTube video by Health Management and Policy Productions:

Were you surprised to learn about this sanatorium in South Carolina? Or better yet, have you already been there? If so, what did you think?  We'd love to read about your experiences in the comments section below.

Please note that like many of SC's pieces of the past, this site is private property. Be respectful and admire from a distance.

You can learn more about even more interesting abandoned places in South Carolina on this road trip itinerary. While not abandoned, this historic train depot-turned-vacation-rental is cozy, shabby chic, and the perfect timeless escape.