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Battle Creek Sanitarium
The Battle Creek Sanitarium was a world-renowned health resort in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1866 on health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and from 1876 to 1943 was managed by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
The "San," as it was called, flourished under Dr. Kellogg's direction and became one of the "premier wellness destinations" in the United States. After a devastating fire in 1902 the Sanitarium was not only rebuilt, but also enlarged. At its zenith, the sprawling health and wellness complex of more than 30 buildings situated on 30 acres accommodated near thirteen hundred guests. It housed a hospital with research facilities and a nursing school, as well as the Sanitarium Food Company, among others. Following the disfellowshipping of Dr. Kellogg in 1907, the physician stated that he and his employees were "independents" who "did not belong to any church" and that the Sanitarium promoted his theory of "biologic living" based on Adventist principles. In 1928, a distinct 14-story addition to the main building, the "Towers," was constructed.
The Great Depression forced the institution to constrict and sell assets to serve its debt. In 1942, the signature main building was purchased by the U.S. Army and converted into the Percy Jones Army Hospital, and the sanatorium moved to the former Phelps Sanitarium building.
In 1957, the floundering wellness institution was taken over by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which operated it under a different name until 1993, when it was sold. The hospital was disbanded in the 1950s and the facility was managed by the General Services Administration. In 2003, it was re-dedicated as the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center.
In May 1866, Ellen G. White presented the idea to create a health institution based on the newly developing health philosophy of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at the fourth session of the Church's General Conference in Battle Creek. The leaders of the church, including Ellen's husband James S. White agreed, and construction began on the Western Health Reform Institute, which would later become the Battle Creek Sanitarium. On September 5, 1866, the Institute opened and began accepting patients, at first under Dr. Horatio S. Lay. In 1876, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg became the medical superintendent, and his brother, W. K. Kellogg, worked as the bookkeeper. As John H. Kellogg put it, they took the word "sanatorium," which was defined back then as a health resort for invalid soldiers. In his words, "A change of two letters transformed 'sanatorium' to 'sanitarium,' and a new word was added to the English language." Kellogg stated the number of patients grew from 106 in 1866 to 7,006 patrons in 1906.
In 1878, a new wooden structure known as the "Old Main" was built on the site, going through major redevelopments in 1884 and 1891. The Old Main burned down in 1902 and was rebuilt in stone, 5-story high and enlarged.
In 1928, Battle Creek Sanitarium expanded with a 14-story high-rise with 265 guest rooms, called the "Towers," facing Champion Street. The institution went into receivership in 1933, and the Sanitarium started to vacate its main facility. In 1942, the U. S. Army purchased the main building and established the Percy Jones General Hospital; the hospital closed permanently in 1953 and one year later became the Battle Creek Federal Center. Owned by the Seventh-day Adventists, the Battle Creek Sanitarium continued to operate as a psychiatric facility through the 1970s but closed its doors by the end of the decade. In 1986, the radial wings of the main building (the solarium, gymnasium and swimming pool) were razed, and the Sanitarium entered into the final chapter of its history, which formally ended in 1993. Medical records have since been microfiched and are now kept by the nearby Fieldstone Center.
Along with high numbers of patrons, there was a large number of staff at Battle Creek. Kellogg stated that "at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the number of persons employed is never less than eight hundred, and often rises in the busiest season to more than one thousand." They comprised "physicians, nurses, helpers etc." There were 30 physicians on staff. The main buildings comprised four large buildings, chief of which was the central structure, "which affords rooming accommodations for about 400 guests ... [and] ... treatment rooms capable of handling more than 1,000 patients."
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Battle Creek Sanitarium
The Battle Creek Sanitarium was a world-renowned health resort in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1866 on health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and from 1876 to 1943 was managed by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
The "San," as it was called, flourished under Dr. Kellogg's direction and became one of the "premier wellness destinations" in the United States. After a devastating fire in 1902 the Sanitarium was not only rebuilt, but also enlarged. At its zenith, the sprawling health and wellness complex of more than 30 buildings situated on 30 acres accommodated near thirteen hundred guests. It housed a hospital with research facilities and a nursing school, as well as the Sanitarium Food Company, among others. Following the disfellowshipping of Dr. Kellogg in 1907, the physician stated that he and his employees were "independents" who "did not belong to any church" and that the Sanitarium promoted his theory of "biologic living" based on Adventist principles. In 1928, a distinct 14-story addition to the main building, the "Towers," was constructed.
The Great Depression forced the institution to constrict and sell assets to serve its debt. In 1942, the signature main building was purchased by the U.S. Army and converted into the Percy Jones Army Hospital, and the sanatorium moved to the former Phelps Sanitarium building.
In 1957, the floundering wellness institution was taken over by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which operated it under a different name until 1993, when it was sold. The hospital was disbanded in the 1950s and the facility was managed by the General Services Administration. In 2003, it was re-dedicated as the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center.
In May 1866, Ellen G. White presented the idea to create a health institution based on the newly developing health philosophy of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at the fourth session of the Church's General Conference in Battle Creek. The leaders of the church, including Ellen's husband James S. White agreed, and construction began on the Western Health Reform Institute, which would later become the Battle Creek Sanitarium. On September 5, 1866, the Institute opened and began accepting patients, at first under Dr. Horatio S. Lay. In 1876, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg became the medical superintendent, and his brother, W. K. Kellogg, worked as the bookkeeper. As John H. Kellogg put it, they took the word "sanatorium," which was defined back then as a health resort for invalid soldiers. In his words, "A change of two letters transformed 'sanatorium' to 'sanitarium,' and a new word was added to the English language." Kellogg stated the number of patients grew from 106 in 1866 to 7,006 patrons in 1906.
In 1878, a new wooden structure known as the "Old Main" was built on the site, going through major redevelopments in 1884 and 1891. The Old Main burned down in 1902 and was rebuilt in stone, 5-story high and enlarged.
In 1928, Battle Creek Sanitarium expanded with a 14-story high-rise with 265 guest rooms, called the "Towers," facing Champion Street. The institution went into receivership in 1933, and the Sanitarium started to vacate its main facility. In 1942, the U. S. Army purchased the main building and established the Percy Jones General Hospital; the hospital closed permanently in 1953 and one year later became the Battle Creek Federal Center. Owned by the Seventh-day Adventists, the Battle Creek Sanitarium continued to operate as a psychiatric facility through the 1970s but closed its doors by the end of the decade. In 1986, the radial wings of the main building (the solarium, gymnasium and swimming pool) were razed, and the Sanitarium entered into the final chapter of its history, which formally ended in 1993. Medical records have since been microfiched and are now kept by the nearby Fieldstone Center.
Along with high numbers of patrons, there was a large number of staff at Battle Creek. Kellogg stated that "at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the number of persons employed is never less than eight hundred, and often rises in the busiest season to more than one thousand." They comprised "physicians, nurses, helpers etc." There were 30 physicians on staff. The main buildings comprised four large buildings, chief of which was the central structure, "which affords rooming accommodations for about 400 guests ... [and] ... treatment rooms capable of handling more than 1,000 patients."
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