Hygieostatic Bat Roost
Comfort, Kendall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This shingle style structure was built in 1918 to attract and house bats in an effort to eradicate mosquitoes and thereby reduce the spread of malaria. It was designed for Albert Steves, Sr., a former mayor of San Antonio, by Dr. Charles A. R. Campbell, an authority on bats who had served as the health officer in the same city. Named "Hygeiostatic" by Steves, the bat roost is one of 16 constructed in the United States and Italy between 1907 and 1929. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1918, this shingle-style tower was designed to lure and shelter bats so they would devour the mosquitoes then blamed for spreading malaria. It was commissioned by former San Antonio mayor Albert Steves, Sr., on the advice of Dr. Charles A. R. Campbell, a bat authority and city health officer, and was one of only sixteen such roosts built in the United States and Italy between 1907 and 1929.
Why it matters
The roost is a charming monument to the Progressive Era's faith that science and ingenuity could conquer disease.
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Related people
- · Albert Steves, Sr.
- · Charles A. R. Campbell
Themes & tags
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