The Third Ward School became a "fresh air school" for children with tuberculosis (a highly contagious disease) and subsequently became headquarters for the city's health department.
In 1918, it was converted to a "fresh air school", a new concept, providing education and nourishing meals for children with tuberculosis, until 1932. It then served as the headquarters for the city's health department for around forty years. People with prolonged, frequent, or close contact with people with TB are at particularly high risk of becoming infected, with an estimated 22% infection rate. 
