History of Maybury Sanatorium to be lecture topic

William H. Maybury 

Maybury Sanitorium: Fresh Air Care will be the topic of two presentations in Northville in April.
Both presentations will begin at 7 p.m. The April 6 presentation will take place at the Northville District Library in downtown Northville and the April 7 presentation will take place at Northville Township Hall, 44405 Six Mile Road, Northville.
The moderator of the programs will be Joe Oldenburg, a local historian, who is a member of the Northville Township Historic District Fund. Oldenburg will discuss the history  surrounding the facility.
Construction began 100 years ago this month at the site of what is now Maybury State Park for the purpose of treating tuberculosis. The presentations are free but due to the popularity of the programs, reservations are highly recommended and can be made at (248) 349-3020.
Organizers noted that the programs are so popular that they fill to capacity, necessitating a the repeat presentation on the second night.
Constructed from eight Northville Township farms, Detroit owned and operated the tuberculosis sanatorium which opened in 1921 as the Detroit Municipal Tuberculosis Sanatorium but was later named after William H. Maybury who led the development of the facility. Ironically,  Maybury contracted the illness for which the  sanatorium was built and died in his farm house on the property in 1931.
In 1969 the sanatorium closed due to a lack of patients.  In 1972, the Michigan Natural Resource Commission purchased the property from Detroit and in 1975 Maybury State Park was opened on the grounds.