Tiny township saves, transforms historic quarantine station

A tiny community near Philadelphia that managed to save the oldest surviving quarantine station in the Western Hemisphere from the wrecking ball is now transforming the 18th-century structure into township offices.

For Tinicum Township, renovating the Lazaretto Quarantine Station was part of a broader plan to draw visitors to the community, to connect it to other historic waterfront sites and create a destination for both locals and tourists.

For historians, saving the Lazaretto offers a chance to tell stories of immigration and public health in America's early days.

Built in 1799, the quarantine station protected the Port of Philadelphia against the introduction of diseases that could lead to epidemics for nearly a century.

"It's part of American history that we never learn about," said David Barnes, a University of Pennsylvania professor who is writing a history of the building.

"It gives us entry to a lost world, and into the hidden story of how our country came to be and grow, how it accommodated immigrants and dealt with disasters."
It's a place where an index finger pointing to the sky is the locals' universal sign for "let's wait for the plane to pass over and then we can continue our conversation."