The Atlas Obscura Podcast Carville National Leprosarium
Feb 5, 2026
Wendy Chin-Tanner, novelist whose King of the Armadillos draws on her father’s time at Carville. She shares the institution’s surprising community life. People made music, ran a newspaper, staged Mardi Gras parties, and organized against harsh rules. Stories cover arrival routines, secrecy and name changes, reasons some stayed after recovery, and a family’s return decades later.
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Hansen's Disease Isn’t Highly Contagious
- Hansen's disease (leprosy) is a bacterial infection similar to tuberculosis and is far less contagious than folklore suggests.
- Wendy Chin-Tanner notes 95% of people are naturally immune and transmission requires prolonged close contact.
A Teen's Arrival By Train
- Wendy recounts her father arriving by train to Carville and undergoing intake by the Daughters of Charity before staying in the infirmary.
- He recovered for weeks, was later discharged to a dorm, and began life in the colony.
Patients Led A Successful Revolt
- The quality of life at Carville depended heavily on the medical director's ethos and policies.
- Patients organized sit-ins, strikes, and publicity to remove a draconian director within four years.
