History

”On November 5, 1922, medical pioneer Karl von Ruck died in Asheville.

Born in Turkey in 1849 and raised in Germany, von Ruck immigrated to the United States shortly after receiving his medical degree

Von Ruck, who studied and treated tuberculosis and related lung and throat diseases, settled in Asheville because the climate was therapeutic for people with such problems. There he opened a research laboratory and sanitarium before focusing his efforts on creating a vaccine for tuberculosis.

He produced such a vaccine in 1912 in the hopes of preventing children from contracting the disease. The vaccine was found to both prevent and treat TB. He was instrumental in establishing Asheville as the primary area for tuberculosis treatment in the United States." [1]

Von Ruck moved his sanitarium location several times before building new at the site of what is currently Oak Terrace Townhomes:

"Dr. Von Ruck finally realized his dream of building a new sanitarium, when in January of 1900, he opened the 'New Winyah Sanitarium,' which he had built in Ramoth, NC just north of Asheville (this location is now the northeast corner of the intersection of Spears Avenue and Mt. Clare Street within the Asheville city limits)." [2]

A dairy farm provided fresh milk for the sanitarium patients. This was located in what is now the UNCA woods.

“…Dr. Karl Von Ruck established his Winyah Sanitarium farm near present-day Mount Clare Avenue, providing careful diets along with inoculation and fresh air to tubercular patients. The 150-by-30-foot stone foundation of his dairy barn and the pasture’s now century-old white oak grove compose an archaeological site…” [3]

“The old Von Ruck Dairy Barn, an Asheville landmark ... was destroyed Saturday [2/7/1959] afternoon by a blaze of undetermined origin. It was built about 1905 by the late Dr. Karl Von Ruck, internationally known as a tuberculosis specialist… the barn was operated in connection with the old Winyah Sanitarium operated by Dr. Von Ruck at Mt. Clare and Spears avenues.” [4]