Wildwood Sanitarium
Wildwood Sanitarium
Salamanca sanitarium sheds light on city’s progressive history
Alternative medicine and natural healthcare may seem like relatively modern practices that are becoming more widely practiced. However, Laurie Wagatha, owner of the Wildwood Sanitarium, discovered that Salamanca’s history with holistic healing goes back to the early 20th century, when Dr. Henderson and Dr. Perry opened the “only osteopathic infirmary and the first and only osteopathic institution in the state of New York” in 1906. The building has had multiple uses over the past century and even sat vacant for many years, until Wagatha, whose interest in paranormal activity led her to the fascinating property, bought it and began the restoration process.
Wagatha, a western New York native, has lived about 15 miles away from Salamanca in Napoli for over 30 years. Despite frequenting the city, she never knew the full history of the three-story house at 71 Prospect Avenue, right behind convenience store Cloud & Company. About four years ago, “a couple of people that worked in town who knew I was into paranormal investigating asked, ‘Did you know the Wildwood Sanitarium is for sale?’”
Wagatha was aware that the house had previous paranormal activity, but she did not realize what an unusual history the building had as a place of healing. After hearing that the house was for sale, Wagatha drove over to check it out. “I wasn’t looking to buy a place like that,” she admitted. “But I heard that a nearby business wanted to buy it to tear down for the property.” Wagatha thought about the property for several months, before the owner contacted her and asked her if she would like to buy it before it was listed with a realtor. She said, “Basically, I wanted to buy it to try to save the building and save the history.”
That’s exactly what she did, and ever since, Wagatha has been actively restoring the property, which was once a healthcare destination. Through her own research and information shared by local individuals, Wagatha learned that the house was purchased by Dr. John Henderson and Dr. Carroll Perry in 1903. Henderson and Perry met at an osteopathic college and endeavored to create a place of healing through progressive new practices. In 1906, the doctors opened the Wildwood Sanitarium and Bath House, which was once advertised as the only osteopathic infirmary in the state and was “not a fashionable resort, but a place to heal.”
A sign located on the property and dated 1909 reads, “The sanitarium and bath house is now open and for the treatment of all conditions except infectious and contagious diseases. We have endeavored to make the conditions inside the house as pleasant as possible and will try to give each patient individual attention." Wagatha explained that some of the healing practices included UV light therapy, electric battery baths (located in the basement ”bath house”) and bone stretching. In addition to the sanitarium, both doctors had their own practices and Dr. Henderson even served as a pastor in one of the local churches. “They were very busy guys and definitely ahead of their time,” Wagatha noted.
In 1923, the city forced the doctors to turn the sanitarium into a tuberculosis hospital. Throughout the 1920s, it became widely understood that tuberculosis was not a congenital condition but in fact, highly contagious. A quarantine experiment, tuberculosis sanitariums became common throughout the United States, and most patients were prescribed fresh cold air, which was believed to be an effective treatment. Patients’ chairs and even their beds were moved outdoors or on sanitarium porches to aid in their treatment. By the turn of the 20th century, one in seven had passed away from the disease, and it wasn’t until 1943 that an antibiotic drug was discovered. Dr. Henderson and Dr. Perry operated the sanitarium until their deaths in 1941, and Henderson’s family continued to own the property until 1946. By the 1950s, tuberculosis was no longer considered a major public health threat, and most sanitariums were either demolished or converted to hospitals.
Wagatha explained, “It’s been owned by various families over time; it was apartments at one time, and it’s been vacant over the years, too.” Even before the doctors purchased the building in 1903, it was a private residence, though the exact age of the building is unknown. “I researched it at the county building, and on paper it says it was built in 1900,” said Wagatha. “I discovered it was older than that because it had gas lighting, and I was finding rectangular and square nails, which dates it back even farther, probably to the mid-1800s or so. The woman at the county building said that a lot of times, if they didn’t know an exact date, they’d put an approximate date on it.”
Wagatha believes it’s safe to say that the building is at least 150 years old, and its 3,500 square feet - including three floors plus an attic and a basement - have many stories to tell. She regularly hosts history tours by appointment, and the house is frequently booked by paranormal investigation teams, including for overnight visits. Wagatha also hosts public investigations using her own equipment. The sanitarium has been featured in several documentaries and television shows, including “Paranormal Lockdown,” the Travel Channel’s “America’s Most Terrifying Places,” “Fright Club,” and a documentary on Amazon entitled “Sleepless in Salamanca.”
Over the years, visitors and Wagatha and her family have witnessed numerous unexplained activities. “Lots of people see shadow figures, and we get amazing EVPs (electronic voice phenomena),” said Wagatha of the voices people hear when playing back a microphone recording in the building. “I’ll have balls roll across the floor, doors opening and closing, footsteps, knocking, all kinds of noises,” Wagatha continued. “Lots of people will come and they’ll make connections with a relative or one of the doctors in the house. They go away with some kind of healing message of some sort. It sounds funny, but it’s like the building wants to go back to a place of healing.”
Even as she continues the restoration process, Wagatha invites visitors by appointment year ‘round. Those interested in history tours or ghost hunting tours can book their appointment online at www.wildwoodsanitarium.com. To see the restoration process and learn more about upcoming events, follow The Wildwood Sanitarium Restoration Project on Facebook.