What Was Here Before Boerne City Hall?

What Was Here Before Boerne City Hall?. . , Saint Mary’s Sanitarium , St. Mary’s Sanitarium had been White Gables Sanitarium before the Sisters of Charity purchased and enlarged it in 1896. In 1923–24 there were 10 sisters and 63 patients at St. Mary’s., In the 1800s, the infectious disease tuberculosis (TB), then called “consumption,” was becoming widespread. It was fatal at least 50% of the time, and there was no cure until the discovery of the antibiotic in 1944. Because TB was easily spread, infected patients could not be cared for in hospitals like Santa Rosa in San Antonio. Up to the 1920s it was thought that Boerne’s “healthy air” would cure them. Hundreds of TB patients from all over the country came to Boerne for this “open air treatment.” At the turn of the century, the sisters were nursing over 600 TB patients at St. Mary’s and in cottage sanitaria across Boerne, effectively doubling the population. Sadly, the “open air treatment” was not effective; about half the patients died. Today, TB kills more than 1.5 million worldwide., Uncovered Foundation , Archaeologists examined the city campus property before the new library and city hall were built and discovered this section of foundation, which is composed of limestone rock. They believe this was likely part of St. Mary’s Sanitarium., Holy Angels Academy , Holy Angels Academy was a parochial boarding and day school, with the sisters teaching children from about ages 6 through 18. The children were taught English, music, art, languages, elocution (clear speaking), and Catholicism. Early German residents in this area would send their children here to receive a Catholic school education for one or more years. Then the children might return to public school. Many Germans who immigrated to Texas were either Catholic or Lutheran., Water Well , The archaeologists also found this water well made of stacked limestone with an opening diameter of about 30 inches. This well is located east (behind and a little south of St. Mary’s Sanitarium) and was likely used for fresh water during the early years of St. Mary’s Sanitarium and Holy Angels Academy., Cesspool , A cesspool lined with ceramic tiles for sewage containment was discovered east of the new City Hall. It was installed after 1910. The opening is about 65 inches across. Hollow ceramic tile was patented and manufactured by W.S. Dickey Co., Kansas City, MO., Artifacts , These artifacts were found in a trash dump at the east end of the property behind the current library. Item 1 is a piece of whiteware ceramic bowl. Items 2 and 8 are clear bottle fragments. Item 5 is an Eastman Kodak bottle that held a chemical used in developing photographic film. Items 3, 6, and 10 are whisky bottle necks; 4 is a Mason jar; and 7 and 10 are earthenware jar fragments., Captions: , Saint Mary’s Sanitarium - Dietert Historical Archives, Patrick Heath Public Library, Boerne , Foundation Stone - Image by Dr. Herb Uecker, Stars Co., Bulverde , Boarding and Day School - Dietert Historical Archives, Patrick Heath Public Library, Boerne , Students and Teachers at Holy Angels Academy, 1912 - Dietert Historical Archives, Patrick Heath Public Library, Boerne , Hand-Dug Water Well - Image by Dr. Herb Uecker, Stars Co., Bulverde, TX , Cesspool Feature, c. 1917–1925 - Image by Dr. Herb Uecker, Stars Co., Bulverde, TX , Image by Dr. Herb Uecker, Stars Co., Bulverde, TX