events
Every year, the District hosts a variety of events, bringing the community and members together, to celebrate the arts and culture while building a deeper connection within the community.
Every year, the District hosts a variety of events, bringing the community and members together, to celebrate the arts and culture while building a deeper connection within the community.
Often located near poorhouses, asylums, and prisons, contagious disease hospitals reveal how fear of contagion intersected with social reform, nativism, and evolving ideas about poverty and public responsibility. Historian and author Dr. Katherine M. (Anderson) Benson, MFA, EdD, will take us on a virtual exploration of the complex history of contagious disease hospitals in Massachusetts from the 19th to the early 20th century. She will highlight their role in shaping public health policy, immigration control, and institutional development. Drawing from historical records and case studies, Dr. Benson will examine how these institutions targeted immigrant and marginalized communities under the guise of care and containment, leaving a lasting impact on the Commonwealth’s institutional landscape.
Dr. Katherine M. (Anderson) Benson, MFA, EdD, is an institutional historian and an award-winning author. She has been a special educator for more than 20 years in residential treatment facilities, juvenile corrections, and therapeutic programs. Dr. Benson has written about and lectured on the history of institutional treatment in Massachusetts. She lives in Western Mass with her husband, a very bitey cat, and a special needs dog.
This program is sponsored by the Public Health Museum, presented with support from the Tewksbury Public Library and the Bacon Free Library.
