Location: 5201 Glenn Dale, Prince Georges County, MD
Southwest of Glenn Dale Rd and Electric Ave intersection Map
Years of operation: 1934-81
Warning: Trespassing is technically prohibited since asbestos was used in building. It is also the reason why it was closed on the first place.
Glenn Dale Hospital, located in Glenn Dale, Prince George’s County, Maryland, approximately 15 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., is an abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium and isolation hospital that operated from 1934 to 1981. Sprawling across 216 acres, the campus comprises 23 Georgian Revival buildings, including separate adult and children’s hospitals, staff residences, and support facilities. Built during the Great Depression to address a tuberculosis epidemic, it was a major public health institution, designed to isolate and treat patients using fresh air and sunlight therapies. Closed due to asbestos contamination and prohibitive renovation costs, the site has since deteriorated, attracting urban explorers, ghost hunters, and local legends despite being private property with restricted access. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 and ongoing preservation efforts highlight its historical and architectural significance.
Tuberculosis Epidemic and Construction (1930s):
In
the early 1930s, Washington, D.C., faced a severe tuberculosis (TB)
epidemic, known as the “white plague,” which caused nearly 10% of U.S.
deaths at its peak. Overcrowded city hospitals sent patients to
facilities in Maryland and Virginia, necessitating a dedicated
sanatorium. In 1934, the District of Columbia, which owned the land,
constructed Glenn Dale Hospital to isolate and treat TB patients,
halting the disease’s spread. The 216-acre campus, designed by architect
Nathan S. Wyeth, was strategically located in rural Glenn Dale, 13 miles
from the Capitol, balancing isolation with accessibility. Funded by a
$1.5 million Public Works Administration (PWA) grant, the project
included an adult hospital (Building A, 293 beds, completed 1937), a
children’s hospital (Building B, 257 beds, opened 1934), and support
buildings like nurses’ dormitories, doctors’ quarters, a laundry, a
sewage plant, and a garage. Murals for the children’s hospital were
commissioned through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), adding
artistic elements.
Operation as a Tuberculosis Sanatorium
(1934–1959):
Glenn Dale opened with 150 patients, primarily children
from poor families, reflecting TB’s disproportionate impact on
marginalized communities. By 1936, Congress expanded the children’s
ward, and the campus grew to accommodate 600 patients and 500 staff. The
hospital’s design emphasized heliotherapy (sunlight exposure) and fresh
air, believed to combat TB before antibiotics. Patients spent extensive
time outdoors on terraces, rooftop gardens, and sunbathing areas, with
children’s buildings featuring playgrounds to encourage outdoor
activity. Underground tunnels connected buildings, allowing staff
movement during inclement weather while patients remained outside. In
1939, Bessie Crocker became the first African American nurse at a
D.C.-operated hospital, marking a milestone in desegregation.
Repurposing and Closure (1960–1981):
The 1940s discovery of
antibiotics revolutionized TB treatment, reducing cases significantly by
the 1950s. With fewer TB patients, Glenn Dale transitioned in 1960 to a
nursing home and hospital for indigent patients with chronic illnesses,
including some Medicare cases. By 1976, the facility housed 370
patients, but a fire inspection revealed severe safety violations:
non-fire-resistant doors, unsafe laundry chutes, cramped bedrooms, and
hazardous materials like asbestos and lead paint. Renovation costs were
estimated at $23 million—nearly double the price of a new
facility—prompting a gradual wind-down. The hospital closed in 1981,
with remaining patients relocated or discharged, some reportedly
released without support.
Ownership and Failed Redevelopment
(1994–Present):
In 1994, the District of Columbia sold the property
to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC)
for $4 million, with a deed restriction mandating its use as a
continuing care retirement community. In 2010, MNCPPC sought buyers for
the 60-acre hospital campus, retaining 150 acres for parkland, but
rejected two bids due to bidders’ lack of retirement community
licensing. A 2018 feasibility study deemed the retirement community
model unviable, and in 2019, Maryland legislation lifted the deed
restriction, opening possibilities for adaptive reuse. The Alexander
Company, experienced in historical preservation, expressed interest in
transforming the site into housing or mixed-use development, similar to
projects in Lorton, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland. Despite these
efforts, asbestos removal, structural decay, and high costs (estimated
at $7 million for cleanup) have deterred progress.
Campus Layout and Design:
Glenn Dale Hospital’s
216-acre campus, set among rolling hills and meadows, features 23
Georgian Revival buildings, characterized by classical detailing, brick
facades, and interconnected pedestrian and vehicular paths. The campus’s
therapeutic design prioritized open spaces, with expansive lawns
separating buildings to promote fresh air and sunlight. Key structures
include:
Adult Hospital (Building A): A five-story, 293-bed
facility with separate wings for male and female patients, featuring
open-air terraces for heliotherapy and a basement morgue.
Children’s
Hospital (Building B): A three-story, 257-bed building with rooftop
playgrounds and a basement morgue, designed for young patients.
Support Buildings: Four apartment buildings for staff, nurses’
residences, doctors’ quarters, a laundry, a power plant, a sewage
disposal plant, a garage, art rooms, a theater, chapels, seclusion
rooms, storage areas, a boiler room, and an incinerator for hospital
waste (not human remains, despite local myths).
Underground Tunnels:
A network of walkways connecting the adult and children’s hospitals’
basements, used for staff movement and utility access, now flooded and
littered with debris.
Therapeutic Features:
The campus was
designed to maximize sunlight and ventilation, with rooftop gardens
tended by patients, sunbathing areas, and terraces where beds were
rolled outside. The children’s hospital included play areas to encourage
outdoor activity, reflecting the era’s belief in heliotherapy’s benefits
for TB recovery.
Current Condition:
Since its closure, Glenn
Dale has deteriorated significantly. Buildings exhibit broken glass,
peeling lead paint, corroded walls, collapsed roofs, and overgrown ivy
and vines. The tunnels and basements are hazardous, with rusty metal,
garbage, graffiti, and up to three feet of stagnant water. Asbestos and
lead paint pose health risks, and the site is infested with rats and
bats. Despite neglect, the buildings retain substantial commercial
quality and historical integrity, with community groups advocating for
stabilization to prevent further loss. In 2015, MNCPPC cleared some
trees and debris and installed security cameras to deter trespassers.
Historical and Social Impact:
Glenn Dale was a
critical public health institution, serving as the region’s primary TB
sanatorium and later a care facility for the indigent. Its history
reflects the era’s medical practices, social stigma around TB, and
racial dynamics, as seen in Bessie Crocker’s groundbreaking role. A 2006
Washington Post Magazine article, “Quarantined,” by Leah Y. Latimer,
detailed her mother’s 1950s hospitalization and the emotional toll of TB
isolation, highlighting the human cost of the disease. Latimer’s 2008
lecture on the grounds, the first public event in nearly 30 years, drew
over 150 attendees, underscoring community interest.
Paranormal
Lore and Urban Legends:
Glenn Dale’s abandoned state and eerie decay
have fueled its reputation as one of Maryland’s most haunted sites,
ranked fourth by Haunted Rooms. Local legends include:
The
Goatman: A mythical half-man, half-goat creature said to roam the woods,
a Prince George’s County folklore staple unrelated to the hospital’s
history.
Ghostly Apparitions: Trespassers report hearing footsteps,
door slams, and seeing apparitions, including a woman in the adult
hospital basement. One 2025 account described a chilling encounter with
a female presence, prompting a hasty exit.
Misconceptions: Despite
rumors, Glenn Dale was never an insane asylum or prison, always
functioning as a hospital. The Maryland Ghost and Spirit Association
lists it as an “official” haunted site, citing its history of suffering
and death.
Trespassing and Media Attention:
The hospital’s
proximity to Glenn Dale Road and the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis
Trail makes it visible and accessible, attracting urban explorers, ghost
hunters, and teens, especially around Halloween. MNCPPC Park Police and
security cameras monitor the site, with trespassers frequently arrested
or escorted off, though some report lenient officers allowing external
exploration. The site has appeared in media, including a 2015 short film
by Dan Bell and posts on Reddit’s r/urbanexploration, showcasing its
graffiti-covered halls and decay.
National Register of Historic Places (2011):
Glenn
Dale was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November
2011, recognizing its architectural and historical significance as a
20th-century therapeutic campus. The designation enables tax credits for
rehabilitation, encouraging adaptive reuse. In 2014, Preservation
Maryland listed it as a threatened historic property, and in 2015, it
was included in their Six-to-Fix program, advocating for preservation.
Prince George’s County Historic District (2014):
On June 17,
2014, the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission
designated Glenn Dale as a Historic District, one of only three in the
county, following advocacy by the Glenn Dale Citizens’ Association and
Lincoln-Vista Civic Association. This status offers protections against
demolition and supports community-driven reuse plans.
Redevelopment Challenges:
The Alexander Company’s 2019 exploration of
redevelopment, backed by a community listening session, proposed housing
or mixed-use projects, but asbestos removal and structural repairs
remain significant hurdles. Community groups envision the 60-acre
hospital campus as a continuing care facility, with the remaining 150
acres as permanent parkland. A 2023 Preservation Maryland report
emphasized urgent stabilization to prevent further deterioration, noting
the buildings’ robust construction but failing roofs.
Current
Access:
The campus is private property, off-limits to the public,
with “No Trespassing” signs, tree-mounted cameras, and regular police
patrols. Despite this, the site remains a magnet for unauthorized
visitors, prompting ongoing security measures.