Student Handout 2-What is a quarantine and immigration station?
The Lazaretto: A Forgotten Quarantine Hospital
http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Multimedia/Videos/The-Lazaretto.aspx
In this 4 minute and 44 second video by www.advanceweb.com and Scott Hatfield, Dr. Barnes and several other experts describe the quarantine process and medicine's attempts at "keeping disease at bay." (Dr. Barnes) Dr. Barnes is filmed on the shore of the Delaware, at the site of America's oldest quarantine station, built in 1799, the Lazaretto. He provides a tour, showing some of the sites original architectural features and explaining how they were used. Additionally, P.J. Brennan, MD and Alice Hausman, PhD, MPH, provide information from their medical perspective on the historical importance of quarantines in stemming the spread of disease. Particularly interesting is an old hand bill ordered by the Board of Health exhibited by Dr. Brennan.
America's Oldest Quarantine Station. School of Arts and Sciences. University of Pennsylvania.
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dbarnes/Lazaretto.html
This website was created by Dr. David Barnes, historian at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Barnes has personally transcribed various primary sources that have yet to be published on the internet. His website provides primary sources and images (some include modern-day photographs he took of the Lazaretto). Dr. Barnes is a knowledgeable resource on the Lazaretto and is currently writing a book on the subject which should be published in the near future.
Anroman, Gilda M. "PhD dissertation." Infectious Disease in Philadelphia, 1690-1807: An Ecological Perspective (2006).
Interesting primary source that is highlighted in this thesis is the journal account of Elizabeth Drinker – woman who lived through the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793. This thesis gives background knowledge on disease(s) and public perception of their source(s).
Estes, J. Worth and Billy G. Smith, ed.. A Melancholy Scene of Devastation: The Public Response to the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic. Canton, MA: Science History Publications, 1997.
The first and most famous of eight yellow fever epidemics which struck Philadelphia between 1793 and 1805 led to disputes over what was responsible (French immigrants or insect-infested swamps) and the role of various actors (doctors, Federalists, Republicans, and African Americans) in responding to the disease.
Kolsky, Mona. Philadelphia 1793: Yellow Fever, Race, Medicine and Politics. University of Pennsylvania. School of Arts and Sciences. Teachers Institute of Philadelphia: , 2009.
Lesson Plan focusing on the impact of Yellow Fever on the city of Philadelphia and the role Lazaretto played in response This lesson plan presents some background on the diseases that initiated the building of a better quarantine station in Philadelphia.
Leffmann, Henry. Under the yellow flag : an account of some experiences of Henry Leffmann as port physician of the port of Philadelphia ; to which have been added a few notes and comments on the history of the port of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: G.F. Fell et Societas, 1896.
This is an excellent primary source available on the web. Leffmann provides text and images regarding his experience as Port Physician. The Port Physician was the on-duty doctor during the off-season (October-May). This text was referred to throughout the lesson, but might be of interest to students and teachers who want to learn more about the Lazaretto in its later-years.
Morman, E.T. "Guarding against Alien impurities: The Philadelphia Lazaretto 1854-1893" in Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography., 131-151. Philadelphia, PA: Historical Society of Pennsylvania , 1984.
This scholarly article provides background information on the Lazaretto. While it is a secondary source, Morman includes sources like the Board of Health meeting minutes and annual records. It also provides a general overview of the public’s understanding of microorganisms, contagions, and treatment throughout the history of the Lazaretto.
Sell, Rebecca H. "Lazaretto: The Cultural Significance and Preservation Plan in the Spirit of the Burra Charter" in A Thesis in Historic Preservation, Master of Science in Historic Preservation. University of Pennsylvania: Scholarly Commons Repository, 2005.
This thesis is a helpful overview of the Lazaretto as an immigration and quarantine station, but it also covers the history of the Lazaretto after 1893. The buildings exchanged ownership and served other functions, including at one point, a sea plane base. Sell’s thesis argues for historic preservation in 2005 when the main building was still in danger of being overrun by a parking lot for the local fire department. Since 2006, the township now owns the site, but it remains abandoned and empty. Sell also includes a number of useful maps, some of which were adapted to the lesson.
The efforts to preserve the Lazaretto and upcoming events can be followed through this facebook page.
Philadelphia Immigrant City http://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20resources/phila_ellis_island.html...
This resource, written by Fredric M. Miller, provides informative statistics on immigration in Philadelphia. Miller reports that a quarter of million immigrants came through Philadelphia before 1873, and he creates a table which compares numbers of immigrants that arrived in Philadelphia to the number of immigrants that arrived in the nation. This table includes data from 1820-1930.
School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, America’s Oldest Quarantine Station http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dbarnes/Lazaretto.html
This website was created by Dr. David Barnes, historian at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Barnes has personally transcribed various primary sources that have yet to be published on the internet. His website provides primary sources and images (some include modern-day photographs he took of the Lazaretto). Dr. Barnes is a knowledgeable resource on the Lazaretto and is currently writing a book on the subject which should be published in the near future.
The Independence Hall Association. Ushistory.org, Lazaretto Quarantine Station, Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dbarnes/Lazaretto.html
This comprehensive website is dedicated to the restoration of the Lazaretto. Links include historical resources (i.e.,HABS report), media coverage, pictures and maps, “Controversy” (this includes documents that relate to the township’s past plans to create a fire station parking lot on the grounds), outside links regarding the Lazaretto, and “Your Thoughts” (a section for people to comment).
