Aldercrest Sanatorium
A former county-run tuberculosis sanatorium in Snohomish, Washington, that operated from 1918 to 1954.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Aldercrest Sanatorium was a county-operated tuberculosis treatment facility in Snohomish, Washington. It was established during the period when tuberculosis sanatoria served as important institutions for long-term respiratory care, isolation, rest, and rehabilitation. Construction began in 1917, and the facility was designed by Tacoma architects Lundberg & Mahon. Aldercrest became the second county-run sanatorium established in Washington State, following Mountain View Sanatorium in Pierce County, which opened in 1914. The institution was dedicated on February 26, 1918, in a ceremony held in its administration building. Speakers included the president of the Washington anti-tuberculosis league, reflecting the public-health importance attached to the new facility. Aldercrest officially opened on March 1, 1918. Its initial campus contained a two-story administration building and separate male and female wards. The wards were designed to accommodate 20 patients each, giving the sanatorium an opening capacity of 40 patients. Construction and furnishing reportedly cost approximately $30,000 at the time, although the available reference does not provide a detailed accounting or specify the funding structure. Leon G. Woodford served as the first medical director, while Grace L. Holmes was the initial nurse superintendent. Holmes had previously held the position of superintendent at Edgecliff Hospital. Aldercrest provided extended treatment rather than short hospital stays: in 1922, the average patient stay was approximately six months. Its work later incorporated rehabilitation and occupational therapy. John Fountain served as acting medical director from 1944 through 1946. Cordia Maddox became director of rehabilitation in 1947, and Cora O. Phibbs assumed responsibility for occupational therapy and rehabilitation in 1948. By 1953, the institution was treating 61 patients, indicating that its patient population had grown beyond the original ward capacity or that its available accommodation had otherwise expanded. Aldercrest closed on April 30, 1954, as tuberculosis care changed and specialized sanatoria became less central to the health-care system. The remaining patients were transferred to Firland Sanatorium in Seattle. The former campus was subsequently sold by the county: its buildings were put up for auction on May 2, 1955. In 1959, the property was acquired and reopened as a nursing home under the name Delta Rehabilitation Center. The successor facility later shifted its focus in 1975 to patients with severe brain injuries, giving the site a continuing but substantially altered role in institutional care. Delta Rehabilitation Center closed in 2020 after reductions in Medicare funding. By 2022, the former sanatorium buildings had been demolished, and the site had been redeveloped as the Walsh Hills subdivision. Aldercrest therefore survives primarily as a site of local medical and public-health history rather than as an operating institution. The available material does not identify a current owner, a formal corporate parent, a surviving brand operation, or a preserved building complex.
History
Aldercrest Sanatorium developed as part of Washington State's county-level response to tuberculosis in the early twentieth century. Before effective antibiotic treatment became widely available, tuberculosis care often depended on lengthy stays in specialized institutions. These facilities combined isolation, supervised rest, nursing, medical observation, nutrition, and, increasingly, rehabilitation. Aldercrest was built in Snohomish, Washington, and was the second county-run sanatorium in the state. The earlier facility was Mountain View Sanatorium in Pierce County, established in 1914. Construction began in 1917. The architectural work was carried out by Lundberg & Mahon, a Tacoma-based firm. The completed campus consisted of a two-story administration building together with separate wards for male and female patients. Each ward initially accommodated 20 people. The project, including furnishings, cost about $30,000 according to the available historical account. A dedication ceremony took place in the administration building on February 26, 1918, with several speakers, including the president of the Washington anti-tuberculosis league. Aldercrest began receiving patients on March 1, 1918. Leon G. Woodford was the opening medical director and Grace L. Holmes was the first nurse superintendent. Holmes came to Aldercrest after serving as superintendent of Edgecliff Hospital. The sanatorium's treatment model required patients to remain for substantial periods: the average stay was about six months in 1922. This length of care reflected both the medical limitations of the era and the need to manage tuberculosis as a communicable disease. During the 1940s and early 1950s, the institution's leadership and services included a growing emphasis on rehabilitation. John Fountain served as acting medical director between 1944 and 1946. Cordia Maddox was appointed director of rehabilitation in 1947, followed by Cora O. Phibbs as occupational therapy and rehabilitation director in 1948. By 1953, the facility had 61 patients, more than its initially stated capacity of 40, suggesting that the operation had expanded or adapted its accommodations over time. Aldercrest closed on April 30, 1954. Its remaining patients were moved to Firland Sanatorium in Seattle. The closure occurred during a period when tuberculosis treatment was being transformed by drug therapy and changing institutional-care practices, although the available reference does not attribute the decision to a specific medical or administrative policy. On May 2, 1955, the county put the former buildings up for auction. The site continued to be used for health-related care after Aldercrest's institutional identity ended. It was purchased in 1959 and reopened as a nursing home called Delta Rehabilitation Center. In 1975, the successor facility changed its focus to patients with severe brain injuries. Delta Rehabilitation Center eventually closed in 2020, with the available account linking the closure to cuts in Medicare funding. By 2022, the former sanatorium had been demolished and the land redeveloped as the Walsh Hills subdivision. No operating Aldercrest organization or preserved sanatorium campus is identified in the available sources.
- 2022
Former campus demolished
[1]The former sanatorium buildings had been demolished and the site redeveloped as the Walsh Hills subdivision.
- 2020
Delta Rehabilitation Center closed
[1]The successor facility closed amid cuts in Medicare funding.
- 1975
Successor facility shifted to brain-injury care
[1]Delta Rehabilitation Center changed its focus to patients with severe brain injuries.
- 1959
Site converted to nursing home
[1]The property reopened as Delta Rehabilitation Center.
- 1955
Buildings auctioned
[1]The county placed the former sanatorium buildings on auction on May 2.
- 1954
Sanatorium closed
[1]Aldercrest ceased operations on April 30, and remaining patients were transferred to Firland Sanatorium in Seattle.
- 1953
Patient population reached 61
[1]The sanatorium was reported to have 61 patients.
- 1948
Occupational therapy leadership established
[1]Cora O. Phibbs took over occupational therapy and rehabilitation direction.
- 1947
Rehabilitation leadership added
[1]Cordia Maddox was named director of rehabilitation.
- 1922
Long-term treatment pattern documented
[1]The average patient stay was approximately six months, illustrating the extended-care model used for tuberculosis treatment.
Products and positioning
A county-run residential tuberculosis treatment and rehabilitation institution serving Snohomish County and the surrounding area during the first half of the twentieth century.
Brand decisions
1959
Conversion to Delta Rehabilitation CenterStrategyBackground
Following the sanatorium's closure and the county auction of its buildings, the site was acquired for continued institutional care.
Action taken
The property reopened as a nursing home named Delta Rehabilitation Center.
Aftermath
The successor facility later specialized in care for people with severe brain injuries from 1975 until its closure in 2020.
1954
Closure and patient transferStrategyBackground
After operating as a tuberculosis sanatorium since 1918, Aldercrest ended its institutional operations in 1954.
Action taken
The facility closed on April 30, 1954, and its remaining patients were transferred to Firland Sanatorium in Seattle.
Aftermath
The property was later auctioned by the county and ultimately converted into a different health-care facility.
Recent events
- 2022
Former Aldercrest buildings demolished for housing redevelopment[1]
Other
By 2022, the former sanatorium buildings had been removed and the site had been developed as the Walsh Hills subdivision.
- 2020
Delta Rehabilitation Center closed after Medicare funding cuts[1]
Regulation
The successor care facility closed in the context of reductions in Medicare funding.
- 1959
Former sanatorium site reopened as Delta Rehabilitation Center[1]
Other
The property was purchased and converted into a nursing home operating under the Delta Rehabilitation Center name.
- 1955
County offered the former sanatorium buildings at auction[1]
Other
Aldercrest's buildings were placed at county auction on May 2, 1955, following the institution's closure.
- 1954
Aldercrest Sanatorium closed after more than three decades of operation[1]
Other
The former tuberculosis sanatorium ceased operations on April 30, 1954, and its remaining patients were transferred to Firland Sanatorium in Seattle.
Sources1 sources
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