Kirkbride Buildings - Historic Insane Asylum Architecture

Pennsylvania state representative Kathy Rapp is working to “protect the patients, jobs and community services at Warren State Hospital.” Evidently there’s an effort in the state government to privatize elements of the institution. This effort is part of a larger “deinstitutionalization scheme”, which could possibly lead to further closings of state psychiatric centers such as Warren State Hospital. I found out about this at Pennsylvania Mental Health Issues which has a few posts about Warren State Hospital listed here. (more…)

An article in The Washington Post and another at Examiner.com describe a new report on St. Elizabeths Hospital by University Legal Services, an advocacy group for Washington D.C.’s disabled population. The report criticizes serious “deficiencies”, “dysfunction”, and “failure” on the part of the hospital staff, blaming the poor quality of care at the hospital for the deaths of eleven patients in 2007. It’s disturbing, but not too surprising given the long history of such problems at public psychiatric hospitals. That’s not to say that all treatment at psychiatric hospitals has been poor or inadequate, but it is unarguably a recurring issue. (more…)

There’s more news today on the possible transformation of the Fergus Falls Kirkbride into a college for cross-cultural studies. Read about it here: Chinese Get Invitation to Fergus Falls

In addition, there’s an article on Willard State Hospital which also mentions a photography exhibit titled “Willard: Behind the Walls of the Asylum for the Insane” showing in Binghampton, NY this weekend. You can read it here: Willard: The Buildings They Left Behind

A reader recently pointed me to an article about a new proposal for reuse of the Fergus Falls Kirkbride building in Minnesota. Apparently there’s a plan in the works to turn it into a college for Chinese language immersion and business studies. It’s a timely idea and things are moving forward, but the article does mention if an agreement isn’t finalized within a year, the building may still be destroyed.

It’s strange to think Chinese capital could help Minnesota preserve an historic structure. It makes sense though, and it doesn’t take a psychic to predict such investments from China will become more common as the 21st-century progresses. If this proposal goes through, they’re sure to benefit, as will Minnesota. I hope it works out.

Not content with merely eradicating the historic Old Main building at the former Northampton State Hospital, MassDevelopment has changed the name of the development property from Village at Hospital Hill to Village Hill Northampton. According to their press release, the name was changed “to mark the birth of a new community and a new use for the former hospital grounds.” As Fred Contrada reports in a recent article on stigma, marketing, and “wiping out history”, their reason is a little less lofty than that…

According to this article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Worcester State Hospital came “this close” to being featured in an upcoming Martin Scorsese film. Unfortunately, scheduled demolition of buildings at WSH prevented that from happening. Too bad. It would have been nice to see the Worcester Kirkbride featured in a film. (more…)