The Historic Lazaretto, "Ellis Island's Great-Grandfather"

Nestled on the banks of the Delaware River near the Philadelphia airport sits the Lazaretto. Built in 1799, it is the oldest surviving facility in the Western Hemisphere once used to quarantine those with infectious diseases entering the U.S. David Barnes, associate professor of the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania, serves on the board of the Lazaretto Preservation Association and is researching a book about the facility named after the patron saint of lepers, Saint Lazarus. He takes us inside the abandoned maritime quarantine station for a tour.

Read the story in the Penn Current: http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/latestnews/062910.html

Read the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/98656344.html

Dr. Barnes maintains a website with information, historic photos and documents about the Lazaretto at: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dbarnes/Site/Lazaretto.html

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Education

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• UPenn
• Pennsylvania
• Philadelphia
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[PastPresence]

For the first 50 people who donate $50:00 or greater, by postmarks, there will be a investigation of the Lazaretto on Oct 16th. 2010 from 6 PM until 12 midnight as a way of saying thank you. You will be led on the investigation by the members of The PAST.

Please make your check payable to;

Lazaretto Preservation Association of Tinicum Township

Send check to;

Lazaretto Preservation Association of Tinicum Township

c/o David Schreiber

629 N. Governor Prinz Blvd

Essington, PA 19029