The Penikese Island Leper Hospital was established by the Massachusetts state government in November 1905.
Its establishment followed a bill approved by the state legislature in 1904, allowing “any person infected with a disease dangerous to the public health” to be quarantined in the place ”judged best for his accommodation and the safety of the public.” The state initially proposed two inland locations for the hospital, but these were discarded due to public protest. The island was purchased by the state for US$25,000.
Five patients were transferred to the Pekinese Island colony when it opened, in November 1905; over the following 16 years, it would be home to 36 patients. Most Penikese patients were immigrants, and few spoke English. For most of the colony’s existence, it was overseen by Dr. Frank Parker, who lived there with his wife Marion. A research project, overseen by Dr. James Honeij from Harvard University, operated from 1912 to 1916.
The hospital operated until 1922, when the remaining two women and eleven men were transferred to Carville (in spite of the protests of Frank Parker). Its buildings were burnt; a patient cemetery with 14 graves remains on the island.
After the leprosy hospital closed, the island served as a bird sanctuary; since 1973, it has been home to a school and treatment program for young men with substance use issues.
The Massachusetts Archives holds patient records and other files associated with the Penikese leprosarium (restricted access).
See also:
“First Lepers Arrive on Penikese Island.” Mass Moments. Online: http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=332
Buckley, I. Thomas. Penikese: Island of Hope. Published by the author, 1997.
Cyr, Paul. “The Exiles of Penikese Island: Politics, Prejudice and the Public Health.” Spinner, 1984.
Hartnett, Ken. “The tragedy of Penikese Island”. The Boston Globe. 26 November 2005. Web.
Entry created January 2016