Part Seven

MORE CONSTRUCTION IN 1936

In the spring of 1936 construction was started on Building 3 (Grant Cottage) with a connecting link to Building Four (Adams Cottage), which housed a central kitchen. A kitchen and dining room between Building 5 (Jefferson Cottage) and Building 6 (Madison Cottage) was also under construction at this time. Prior to the new dining rooms and kitchens, patients had to walk to their meals in all kinds of weather. The patients who could not walk had to have their meals carried from the central refectory back to the wards, where it usually arrived in a less than palatable condition. The new kitchens and dining facilities were completed, equipped, and occupied in the early spring of 1938.

WORLD WAR II CREATES MANPOWER PROBLEMS

The lack of manpower created by World War II caused many difficulties in the operation of the institution. These difficulties were eased considerably by the hiring of "conscientious objectors". Many of these individuals objected to military duty on religious grounds, and very few of them had any training in the care of people with developmental disabilities. The lack of training was overcome by the devotion to duty of the workers and their willingness to work long hours.

In January, 1944, the institution employees living in the employee building were moved out so it could be used for tubercular patients. The Hotel Shepard in Union Grove (now known as the Hotel Chartier) was leased for three years by the State and redecorated to be occupied by a large number of the vacated employees. Construction of a T.B. building was completed by the end of the year, but it was at first used as a new employee building. At the expiration of the Hotel lease, the T.B. patients were moved into the new building and the employees were all moved back into the original employees building.

Sources:
The Story of Southern Colony...45 Years of Progress by Henry Klimowicz, 1963;
Colony Background notes by Dr. C. C. Atherton.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine

Last Revised:  July 12, 2010