Many Buildings Converted to Nursing Homes

Sweet Springs Hotel, Sweet Springs, WV
Built as a hotel in 1833. Converted to a sanitarium in 1941. Converted to nursing home in 1945. Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

An unplanned result of the Hill-Burton legislation was that many of the old hospitals that were being replaced were converted to another "medical" use -- they became nursing homes. In the late 1940's, all kinds of residential and commercial construction resumed, after stopping completely during the war. The pent up demand for construction made it hard to find the resources to build new buildings, but older buildings were coming on the market as they were replaced, and the end of the war ushered in an era of nursing home conversions. Hundreds of hotels, homes, and other existing buildings of all kinds were converted to nursing homes.

Conrad Theophilus Home, 1402 St. James Court, Louisville, KY
Built as a private home in 1892 by Theophilus Conrad.Converted to Rose Anna Hughes Presbyterian Nursing Home in 1947. Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

Fredrick Opocensky Home, Niobrara, NE
Built as "the largest, most pretentious home in the small rural community" in 1910. Bought by doctor who used the upper rooms as hospital in 1945. Operated as Thierolf's Rest Home from 1946-1970. Acquired by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1975 and later demolished. Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

Governor Joseph R. Bodwell House, Kennebec County, ME
Built as private home prior to 1866 Converted to a nursing home sometime in the twentieth century. Library of Congress: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)