Verona Leprosy House Ruins

It’s easy to miss the two piles of stone rubble in Prairie Moraine County Park. The only clue that there’s something unusual here is a sign saying, “Historical Site.”

A house for leprosy sufferers once stood here. It was built in 1896 for a resident of the nearby County Poor House, a Norwegian immigrant named Thomas. At this time, there was no cure for leprosy and treatment involved isolation. Thomas was probably the only resident of the house and, after his death in 1902, the house rapidly deteriorated.

Despite the fear of leprosy at the time, it was apparently common for Thomas to have visitors and guests. These included those bringing food and supplies, local farmers paying social calls to play cards, as well as journalists and county officials. After Thomas died, the house was an attraction to local curiosity seekers, which probably contributed to the building’s rapid deterioration. 

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by bacteria and is associated with skin lesions, nerve damage, loss of sensation, blindness and muscular weakness. The first effective treatment for leprosy became available after World War II.