Molly Hills Sanatorium

Opened in 1929 as a tuberculosis hospital, Molly Stark Sanatorium was designed using Spanish Revival architecture and included open verandas and beautiful passageways. Over the years as tuberculosis was treated, the hospital began giving treatment for other illnesses and injuries and changed its name to Molly Stark Hospital. After years of declining maintenance, the hospital closed in 1995. The county acquired the building and land four years later and created a park.

The Molly Stark Sanatorium opened in 1929 with great optimism for treating tuberculosis using the latest scientific methods while providing a relaxing experience for their patients. The Spanish Revival-designed hospital featured open verandas and passageways that provided sunlight and fresh air that the medical community believed that patients needed in order to help cure their sickness. As tuberculosis was being treated and patients began recovering, the hospital began offering more treatments and changing its name to Molly Stark Hospital which offered a rehabilitation center for patients with physical disabilities and those recovering from substance abuse.

Over the years, the ornate structure required expensive upkeep and the building began to show its age just as more medical facilities were being created in the region. In 1995, Molly Stark Sanatorium closed and since that time, the building became overrun with foliage. Clark County purchased that facility and the grounds for one dollar in 2009. Although there was hope that the building might be repurposed, the grounds proved more easily convertible as a community park was created.

“Molly Stark Sanatorium,” Abandoned. Accessed June 3rd 2021. https://abandonedonline.net/location/molly-stark-sanatorium/.

“The Abandoned Molly Stark Sanatorium in Louisville, Ohio,” Roadside Ruins. Accessed June 3rd 2021. https://www.roadsideruins.com/blog/cgyeo502ljtfjdgarie5dz4zeibhfu