Page 21 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 59 Spring 2026

strengthen the immune system so it thought to be therapeutic for people
could fight and “win” over the disease. with tuberculosis. Borrowing from
the early US sanatoria in Asheville and
In the United States, Wallingford, CT Saranac Lake, Gaylord Farm Sanatori-
was an innovator in its adoption of um was a self-contained complex of
a model of not-for-profit sanatorium buildings housing patients and staff,
care like that of Saranac Lake, NY in situated in a rural area of Wallingford.
1885, and distinct from the for-profit There would be home-like cottages,
sanatoria in Ashville, NC in 1875. As often called “shacks,” each consisting
early as November 1901, and prior of a central sitting room with patient
to the establishment of the American rooms off it. Interior surfaces were Former patients to nurses
Lung Association in 1904, members of easy to clean preventing dust and bac-
the County Anti-Tuberculosis League of teria from collecting. Open air porches would have been a graduate of one of
New Haven met under the leadership were an essential feature necessary to the schools affiliated with a hospital
of Dr. Oliver Osborn, a leader in the an- allow patients to rest and sleep in the and established in 1873 in the United
ti-tuberculosis movement in Southern clean air. States based on the Nightingale ap-
CT. The goals of their committee were prenticeship model begun in England.
to establish local laws to prevent the (Three of the first Nursing schools were
spread of TB and to establish a hospital in CT.) To obtain her position at Gaylord
for the care of those with the disease. Farm Sanatorium Mrs. Burgess demon-
strated real initiative and interest in the
In that same year the committee care of those with TB. Having heard
purchased a 600-acre portion of the about the founding of the Gaylord
Gaylord Family Farm from Charles Farm Sanatorium while making a social
Woodward Gaylord of Branford, for $ visit to relatives of her late husband in
3,600.00. The mission of the Gaylord New Haven, she sought out the same
Farm Sanatorium was to provide long committee who appointed Dr. Lyman
term care, rest, and fresh air for peo- and presented her credentials. They of-
ple with tuberculosis. There was wide- fered her a position which she would
spread community support with the maintain until her death in 1935. Many
Wheeler Family giving the first large former patients credited the example
gift to finance the building of a cottage Doctor David R. Lyman of Ms. Burgess (several shown in pho-
on the site in 1902. The Spirit of Gaylord to above with their patient year) with
inspiring their pursuit of a nursing ed-
The Gaylord Farm Sanatorium in Wall- ucation and their return to Gaylord in
ingford would officially open on Sep- that capacity.
tember 20, 1904 under medical direc-
tor, Doctor David R. Lyman. Originally In their capacity as the only staff in the
from Buffalo, NY he would upon com- founding days of the sanatorium Dr. Ly-
pletion of his medical education at the man and Nurse Burgess would signifi-
University of Virginia and internship at cantly influence the philosophy of care
Johns Hopkins in Baltimore become a and the organizational system. Initially
medical staff member at the Adiron- they performed any and all tasks- no
Beebe House exterior Schmelzer postcard dack Cottage Sanatorium in Saranac matter how menial – that were re-
Lake. Its founder, Dr Edward Trudeau, quired to care for the first six patients
himself a former TB patient and believ- and maintain the physical plant, which
As TB grew as a public health problem, er in the “air” cure, created the first was an active dairy farm as well. Dr.
the Connecticut State Tuberculosis sanatorium in the Northeast. Dr. Ly- Lyman’s daughter, Jane Lyman White,
Commission would build five publicly man was able to participate in this nov- would recall that she saw her father as-
funded sanatoria in other cities: Un- el approach to patient care and recov- sembling a manure spreader as part of
dercliff in Meriden (1910), Cedarcrest er from the TB he was diagnosed with his “responsibilities.”
in Newington also (1910), Uncas-on- while he was there. He would bring his
Thames in Norwich (1913), Laurel knowledge from Saranac to implement The initial six patients were to be CT
Heights in Shelton (1909) and Seaside similar practices at the Gaylord Farm residents, in early stages of TB and of
(specifically for children) in Waterford Sanatorium. moderate means. The 22-bed capacity
(1934). Patient fees, private dona- would grow quickly to 120 adults and
tions and eventually some public funds Florence Randolph Burgess, a regis- children by 1920. Patients, referred to
(Wheeler, 1997) supported both Wild- tered nurse (RN) and widow, was ap- as “lungers” were typically from nearby
wood in Hartford (1910), and Gaylord pointed by the committee as Director of towns and stayed for an average length
Farm Sanatorium. Nursing and Assistant Superintendent. of six months to a year. During the 1st
Less is known about her background and 2nd World War soldiers added sig-
TB sanatoriums in the United States (typical for females of that time). As an nificantly to the patient population.
would adopt similar “ideal” archi- RN she was a member of a new cate-
tectural features to those of Europe gory of formally trained women. She With no cure or medication yet avail-

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