The Waverly Hills Sanatorium at Waverly Hills south of Louisville, Kentucky was originally housed in a wood-framed two-story structure. Construction began in 1908 and was completed on July 26, 1910 (1), housing forty to fifty tuberculosis patients. By the early 1910s, however, tuberculosis was approaching 'epidemic proportions' and the need for a more permanent, larger structure was warranted; the original structure alone was housing over 140 patients and was severely over-crowded.

In March of 1924, construction of a new 400-patient sanatorium began. Featuring a large kitchen, dining hall, laboratory, recreational facilities and patient rooms, it was considered one of the most modern in its day when it opened on October 17, 1926 (1). It treated thousands of residents of the nearby cities for what was then a deadly disease, tuberculosis. When advances in modern medicine made the long and often deadly stays in the sanatoriums unnecessary, Waverly Hills closed its doors in 1961. For two years, the building was quarantined and renovated, however, it came at a price. Beautiful wood work and other architectural features were painted over or covered up completely, and other altercations damaged much of the interior. In 1963, the former sanitarium reopened as the Woodhaven Geriatrics Center, a rest home for the elderly. This operation lasted until 1980 when it started closing down in phases until 1981. The remaining patients were transferred to Hazelwood Center or Bluegrass Center.