Pest House

The Pest House is a three-room structure built in 1872 that sits on a hill along Fairy Falls Road. Later additions include a southeast porch and a northwest wing that extended the original space.

The structure was built in 1872 and operated as an isolation facility until 1910 to treat patients with diseases like smallpox, scarlet fever, typhoid, and diphtheria. After it closed for medical use, the building was converted to other purposes.

The building shows how communities once handled contagious disease by creating separate spaces for the ill. It reflects a time when removing sick people from town was the accepted way to protect others.

The building is now a private residence and not open for public visits. It sits on a hilltop outside town, making it difficult to reach from the main road.

This is one of only six remaining pest houses in the United States and the sole surviving example in Minnesota. Its preservation makes it a rare witness to this specialized medical infrastructure from the 1800s.