Small Home Gazette, Summer 2023

Aah…the Sleeping Porch

Illustration of a sleeping porch from Ladies Home Journal magazine, 1925. The “real” bedroom can be seen through the doorway at right.

Summer is here! Time to open the windows and enjoy the summer night breeze, especially for those fortunate enough to have a sleeping porch. Early in the 1900s, tuberculosis was the cause of many deaths. Fresh air was considered one of the best treatments for people suffering from this lung ailment. Designed originally as “cure porches” at sanatoriums and hospitals, sleeping porches gradually became part of a health-focused, open-air movement and were incorporated into the design of American homes as early as the 1910s.   

Author and local historian Mary Krugerud’s article for Hennepin History magazine entitled “Hygiene and housing: the sleeping porch in Minnesota,” describes the medical beliefs that led to the addition of many of the sleeping porches on homes throughout Minnesota, including some of our beloved bungalows. Read the article in its entirety at: Bit.ly/hygieneandhousing.

Glen Lake Sanatorium, main infirmary building and east wing, with top-floor open terraces. Courtesy of Hopkins Historical Society.

Mary Krugerud has written extensively about the impact of tuberculosis in our area, including two books, Interrupted Lives: The History of Tuberculosis in Minnesota and Glen Lake Sanatorium (North Star Press), and The True Story of a Teenage Tuberculosis Patient (Minnesota Historical Press).

The Hennepin History Museum brings the diverse history of people in Hennepin County to life by exploring local history with exhibits, public programs, their magazine Hennepin History, and a public research library. Visit their website (hennepinhistory.org) to learn more about current programs and exhibits, including the Summer Walking Tours.