Mackinaw Area Historical Society
Pest House
What is a pest house?
That is the first question we get when we mention that the first building in our historic village was the pest house.
A pest house was a quarantine facility used by nearly every community in the U.S. in the decades around 1900. As an isolation ward they were a community solution to the deadly spread of smallpox in the late 1800s.
We were very lucky to get this building since few have survived. We received a grant from the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries and another from the Shepler Tourism Fund to restore and place displays in this building.
We use this building to interpret contagious diseases to school groups. We talk about smallpox, influenza, bioterrorism, and personal hygiene.
Our curriculum begins with hand washing instructions for 1st graders to photos of smallpox victims for 12th graders. Smallpox Sally, our mannequin, is an attention getter.