Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hospital and National Treasure in Hot Springs, United States
Battle Mountain Sanitarium is a medical facility on a 68-acre campus featuring pink sandstone structures with a circular central building and radiating wings. The buildings display Mission Revival and Romanesque elements, designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball with landscapes created by George Kessler.
Founded in 1902 and opened in 1907, the sanitarium initially treated Civil War veterans with respiratory and bone conditions. The facility later shifted to focus on tuberculosis patients, becoming a center for specialized respiratory care in the early 1900s.
The complex reflects how society organized specialized care for war veterans and tuberculosis patients in the early 1900s. Walking through the grounds, you notice how the layout was designed to support long-term healing and daily life for residents during treatment.
The facility is located on North Fifth Street and operates today as part of the VA Black Hills Health Care System, serving veterans. Visitors should know that this remains an active medical center with limited public access to certain areas.
The complex was designed by prominent architects of its era who deliberately combined architectural styles to create a healing environment. The integration of Mission Revival and Romanesque elements was an unusual choice that shaped both aesthetics and patient experience.
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