Houston Tuberculosis Hospital At 3602 W. Dallas St.

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Houston has many examples of facilities that do not fit a particular neighborhood. Who would have that a tuberculosis hospital would have been appropriate right across the street from an entrance to River Oaks? But there it stood for decades without much controversy.

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This large hospital campus is simply incredible!! It looks like there were 7+ buildings? Looks like the buildings were called Units.

Where does the Autry Hospital & School come from? Did they (eventually) build on this campus? Perhaps one of the 7 buildings was simply named after Mr. Autry?

From the book City book of Houston 1925 : containing a survey of the city administration, an analysis of the port of Houston, a historical sketch of Houston, and a brief outline of the activities of the various city departments by  City of Houston (Tex.); Beard, Norman Henry.

How tubercular are handled in Houston.

 

Birdseye view of the Houston Tuberculosis Hospital & Grounds comprising of 65 acres at Shepherds Dam.

Unit for advanced tubercular cases.

 

Main building of the Tuberculosis Hospital.

 

Unit for Negro tubercular patients.

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Here's the Tubercular Hospital Campus from Google Earth and the history of the corner of Shepherd Dr. & W. Dallas St.

In 1944, you can clearly see the Tubercular Hospital campus.

The 1944 aerial photo with all the hospital units outlined. Actually 8 buildings!

By 1978, all Tubercular Hospital buildings were demolished and the Center Serving Persons With Mental Retardation was built.

By 2023, all buildings of Center Serving Persons With Mental Retardation were demolished and Hanover Autry Park was built. Great! Keeping the Autry name as the center piece of the development is outstanding.

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From the newspaper The Houston Post dated January 5, 1923.

City to Start Work On New Hospital Unit

Work will start soon on a new unit to the tuberculosis hospital near Shepherds Dam, it was announced Thursday.

The unit will cost about $10,000. The city and county will divide the cost of the building. The city saved $5000 last year from money appropriated for running the hospital and this will be put up as the city's share of the cost, without additional appropriations, it was explained.

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From the newspaper The Houston Post. dated July 7, 1921.

City and County to build hospital for Negroes.

Appropriation of $10,000 is agreed upon; Site near Shepherds Dam.

A new $10,000 unit for negro patients is to be constructed at the city tuberculosis hospital in the immediate future.

This was decided upon a meeting between members of the county commissioners, the city council representatives of the Texas Tuberculosis society and the Houston Foundation on Wednesday.

The new unit is to be erected on the western half of the city's proper on San Felipe street near Shepherd's dam.

Plans for the new unit have been drawn and, as soon as approved, actual work of construction will commence.

The new unit is to be constructed jointly by he county and city, the county depositing its proportion in the general fund of the city and the city making a lump appropriation to cover the cost for the building.

Later two new units for white patients and one for Mexicans to be constructed on the east side of the tract near Shepherds dam road. At some future time the county and the city expect to erect a handsome joint city and county hospital on the tract.

The new unit will be just across the road on the east side of the tract, about the opposite the Houston College (negro), and entrance will be by the shell road on the east side of the tract. The location is said to be ideal for such purposes, being on the high rolling land sloping northward toward Buffalo Bayou.

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I recall hearing Gib DuTerroil, the longtime President of the Lighthouse of Houston, explain that the Lighthouse property was formerly the land where the Houston Tuberculosis Hospital was located.

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Hospital campus found on the Plat of River Oaks and Vicinity Map, 1957, as Autry Memorial School Hospital.