Jackson Sanatorium

5/24/2019

The building was first built by Nathanial Bingham in 1854. He believed that the waters had "healing" powers, and he built the Jackson as "Dansville Water Water Cure Facility" as a spa, but business was not good, and he became ill, so he sold the property to Dr.Jackson, a big believer in hydrotherapy (the water having healing powers). He renovated The Jackson and named it "Our Home On the Hill". It was first for patients who recently had nervous breakdowns and they wanted to relax and rehabilitate. Dr. Jackson believed that with a diet of fruits, veggies and unprocessed grains, to go along with the hydrotherapy would treat his patients. To allow his patients to have grains, he made a bland nugget from bran and graham flour and called it "Granula" for his patients to eat. In 1887, his colleague John Kellogg created a biscuit and also called it "Granula", and Dr. Jackson sued and they settled by renamed John Kellogg's nugget 'Granola' . Jackson also believed that to heal, patients needed sunlight, fresh air and exercise. Through the sanatorium, you can see the big windows for sunlight, and tall ceilings for air circulation. He even went as far as to put glass rooms on the roof to make sure people could get out and get sunlight. After the civil war, wealthy people enjoyed coming to The Jackson, to cleanse theirselves in natural springs, it also became a popular place for lectures. Fredrick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton and Horace Greeley all went to and lectured at the Jackson. In 1870's Dr.Jackson gave the sanatorium to his son and his wife. In 1882 the building caught on fire and they rebuilt the sanatorium for 200,00 dollars and they built it in less then a year. A few decades later in 1914 they declared bankruptcy, the army took over the building for a little while and used it as a psychiatric hospital for veterans. Once the army left, the couple then tried to keep the hotel open and failed. In 1929, a man named Bernarr Mcfadden purchased the building, he was a entrepreneur and loved physical fitness, because of his love of fitness he lead a marathon group hike from the hotel (which is in upstate New York) to NYC when he was 61, and even parachuting on his 81st birthday. He turned the hotel into a getaway for celebrities and wealthy people. The hotel had many costumers and was blossoming again. They had activities like swimming, tennis, sunbathing, dances and music. After Mcfadden died in 1955, William Fromcheck bought the hotel and the hotel was closed for the season on Labor Day in 1971. Later, Fromcheck passed away and the Jackson was left with no owner, and everything from the building was removed and sold. Other owners have tried to do something with the building, but all attempts has failed and the building fell apart.