Monday, May 25, 2015

Carville Historic District, National Leprosarium Cemetery - Iberville

Carville Historic District, National Leprosarium Cemetery - Iberville Parish

This site was the national hospital for Hansen's disease in late 19th/early 20th century. Artifacts may be associated with slave quarters of Indian Camp Plantation that was taken over by the Leprosarium.

 The Carville Collection in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library key word search: Carville / leprosarium / leprosy

Sister Zoe's Funeral - the only Sister known to be interred with patients.


All Images from CDC


"This historic image depicted a funeral on the grounds of the Carville, Louisiana Leprosarium, in honor of Sister Zoe, the only member of the Sisters of Charity who'd wanted to be buried in the same cemetery amongst those for whom she'd cared while they were patients at the facility. This graveyard was located on the grounds of the hospital."

"Between 1894 and 1922, there were 125 patient deaths, all of whom were buried on the grounds of the leprosarium. The hospital was a self-contained compound with its own storehouse, laundry, food-processing facilities, patient treatment centers, recreational facilities, and cemetery."

"Patients of the U.S. Marine Hospital in Carville, Louisiana produced a set of 35 mm slides around 1950 from which this image was derived. In 2002, a patient’s son donated the set, the only one known in existence, to the museum."


This historic image depicted a the grave site commemorating the passing of the former Carville, Louisiana Leprosarium Head Nurse, Sister Zoe, the only member of the Sisters of Charity to have been buried in the cemetery. It was her request that she be buried amongst the patients whom she'd treated while they were at the hospital. . The hospital was a self-contained compound with its own power plant, storehouse, patient treatment centers, which included a dental office, food-processing facilities, i.e., a cafeteria, and its own cemetery
National Hansen's Disease Museum Collections