Comparative Analysis of Leper Hospital Landscapes on St. Croix and St. Kitts

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

From biblical times to the 21st century, leprosy has afflicted populations. Medically and socially, leprosy alters patients’ quality of life. This poster compares two Caribbean island healthcare landscapes in terms of government funding, structural planning, and sheds light on the healthcare of marginalized populations. St. Croix’s leper hospital was established in 1888 by the Danish specifically for patients. St. Croix’s leper hospital saw an exchange of power when the Danish sold St. Croix to the United States in 1917 and continued housing residents until 1954. Approximately 140 miles southeast of St. Croix, St. Kitts’ Charles Fort served as a British military fort until it was repurposed as a leper hospital in 1890 until 1996. This work utilizes artifact analysis, spatial analysis, and historic documentation to compare the sites. This research highlights how governments dictate healthcare, how housing acts as a quarantine facility, and how illness can be used to marginalize.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2022 SHA Poster Submissions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology