Title
Markleton Sanatorium Postcard – Markleton, Pennsylvania (1914)
Author
Published by C.H. Fisher & Son, Somerset, Pa.
Image
Description
This postcard depicts the Markleton Sanatorium in Markleton, Pennsylvania, nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. The five-story, turreted building was originally a health resort and private sanatorium where guests sought relaxation and hydrotherapy, as well as treatment for stress and “everyday ailments.”
The postcard is postmarked June 25, 1914 and bears a one-cent U.S. stamp. It includes a handwritten note referencing travel, hotels, and daily life, offering a snapshot of early 20th-century correspondence.
Condition
The postcard is in good antique condition, with clear postmark and legible handwriting. Minor edge wear and a small stain near the stamp are present, consistent with age.
Gallery
Historical context
The Markleton Sanatorium was located along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at an elevation of 1,700 feet. It featured salt, Turkish, electric, and vapor baths, and could host about 150 guests.
By 1918, during World War I, the U.S. Army leased the building and converted it into General Hospital No. 17, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis among soldiers. The hospital operated until March 1919, when it was closed following the Armistice
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
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Markleton Sanatorium’s remote mountain location was considered beneficial for tuberculosis patients.
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The town of Markleton at the time consisted of a railroad station, two stores, and about 20 dwellings.
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Postcards like this one were popular souvenirs and a key form of quick communication in the early 1900s.
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Sanatorium vs. Sanitarium: Although the words are often confused, sanatorium typically referred to medical treatment centers for tuberculosis and long-term illness, while sanitarium was more often used for health resorts or rest-cure retreats. The distinction blurred over time, but Markleton’s facility was firmly in the “sanatorium” category.
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Excerpt
From the sender’s note (June 25, 1914):
“My dear Edith… arrived in N.Y. Monday morning. Am on my way to… hotel, will write more tomorrow.”
Why it is in the Cabinet
This postcard documents both American sanatorium culture and the evolution of Markleton from a mountain health retreat to a wartime tuberculosis hospital. It also preserves a piece of personal correspondence from 1914, connecting social and medical history.
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If you enjoy the history, the oddities, and the effort, help keep this cabinet open. Every little bit helps preserve and share the strange wonders of medicine’s past.
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