Taunton General Hospital is a mental hospital located on Danforth Street in Taunton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1854, originally known as State Lunatic Hospital at Taunton . It is the second state sanctuary in Massachusetts. Most of the original parts of this facility are built in a unique and rare neo-classical style designed by architect Boyden & Ball. It is also the Kirkbride Plan hospital and is located on a large 62 hectare farm along the Mill River.
The complex was expanded at various times to include more than forty buildings and structures. The main part of the hospital (known as the "Kirkbride Building") was closed in 1975, and the buildings were damaged. In 1994, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. In 1999, the main dome of the administrative building collapsed. In 2006, most of the historic complex was destroyed by fire. In 2009, the remaining parts were destroyed. However, many new buildings on campus remain.
Video Taunton State Hospital
Histori
In 1851, the Massachusetts General Court appointed a commission to find a place for new asylum to reduce the pressure of an increasing patient population from the only facility in Worcester. New in Taunton opened in April 1854. The vast campus located on the hill offers fresh air and sunshine, following the concept of Kirkbride to treat mental health patients. The complex was expanded in the early 1870s and again between 1887 and 1906. From the 1930s, youth facilities, crisis centers, sick wards, and group homes were added.
One of the most beautiful features of the building is its breezeways, which were added in the 1890s to connect the end of the ward to the hospital building. The distinctive domes, the large dome, the iron capital, and the bar windows gave this building a very unusual personality.
In 1975, the main part of the hospital was closed and abandoned. In 1999, the huge dome towering above the hospital administration building collapsed. Later on the night of March 19, 2006, a major fire broke out in the center of the building, including administration and theater. The part that was damaged by fire then flattened, leaving only the rotting wings of the Kirkbride Building.
In May 2009, the demolition of the rest of the historic part of the Kirkbride Building began. The facility has many architectural features that are salvaged and sold to individuals and companies throughout the United States, including architectural granite, brick, wood, iron gates, pipes and antique lighting fixtures, furniture, and slate roofing tiles. The project was completed in early 2010.
Maps Taunton State Hospital
Famous patient
- Thomas Hubbard Sumner, a marine captain known for developing a celestial navigation method known as the 'Sumner line' or the position line.
- Jane Toppan, a sociopathic serial killer.
- Lizzie Borden often talks about being held in a mental hospital. However, he never confessed and was only known to be held in jail, which was at Hodges Ave near the hospital, during the trial.
Recent history
In the early 1990s, a $ 19 million capital expenditure plan was implemented by the state to improve the part of the currently operating campus. In early 2012, the country announced the closing of the remaining parts of the facility containing 169 beds. The plan to keep part of the open facility was vetoed by Governor Deval Patrick in July 2012.
Taunton State Hospital remains open and stores 48 psychiatric beds, Women Recovery from the Addiction Program, a housing program under the Youth Service Department, and a substance abuse program run by the High Point Care Center. There are also greenhouses on campus run by patients and sell a variety of plants and seasonal products to the public.
See also
- List of Historic Historic Sites in Taunton, Massachusetts
References
Further reading
- Taunton State Hospital, Massachusetts Liberman et al. Am J Psychiatry.2003; 160: 2098
External links
- Kirkbride Building - Taunton State Hospital
- American Historic Buildings Survey - Taunton State Hospital
- Photo of Taunton Kirkbride Building Hospital Building
- High Definition Video from Kirkbrides HD
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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