Paris in Lamar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Sanitarium of Paris
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McCuistion Community Hospital
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026
1. Sanitarium of Paris / McCuistion Community Hospital Marker
Dr. Lorenzo Payton Pate McCuistion (1869-1947), descendant of Lamar County pioneer Anthony McCuistion, was the chief surgeon at St. Joseph's until 1912 when he left to work at Aikin Charity Hospital (later Lamar County Hospital). McCuistion envisioned a medical facility for short and long-term residents and modeled after health resorts. Two years later, with assistance from Paris citizens, he built his own hospital, the Sanitarium of Paris, opening on April 12, 1914.
McCuistion hired Chicago architect Mayer J. Sturm to design the 50-bed facility. The contractor was W.R. Eubank. McCuistion purchased the John Martin mansion to the south as the nurses' quarters. The first year saw more than 700 patients, many transferred from Aikin Hospital. In the 1930s, despite the Great Depression, the sanitarium grew, adding a new wing with a library, laboratories, rooms and offices
this page online
The Paris Training School for Nurses transferred to the sanitarium and, along with other area hospitals, assisted the U.S. Army at Camp Maxey during World War II. By 1968, the sanitarium moved to a new facility on the north side of Paris and was renamed L.P. McCuistion Community Hospital. The building near this site was demolished in 1972. With the growth and success of the sanitarium and other hospitals in the area, paris became known as a health center for northeast texas and southeast oklahoma. marker is property of the state of texas (2019)
Erected 2019 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 22448.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. A significant historical date for this entry is April 12, 1914.
Location. 33° 39.647′ N, 95° 33.932′ W. Marker is in Paris, Texas, in Lamar County. It is at the intersection of Bonham Street (Business U.S. 82) and West Kaufman Street, on the right when traveling east on Bonham Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 938 Bonham
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026
2. Sanitarium of Paris / McCuistion Community Hospital Marker
Featured marker is on the post to the left. The marker on the wall reads: "Geo. A. Griffiths Memorial Hospital for Children Once Operated on This Site"
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Central National Road (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Union Station (about 500 feet away); First Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Old Cemetery of Paris (approx. 0.4 miles away); Paris (approx. 0.4 miles away); George W. Wright (approx. half a mile away); The Paris Fire, 1916 (approx. half a mile away); John James Culbertson (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paris.
Another marker is no longer nearby. First National Bank of Paris (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 24 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 15, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
