Embreeville State Hospital

Embreeville State Hospital
Established	Sept 29, 1938 (As a PA State Hospital)
Construction Began	1898
Opened	1938
Closed	1980
Current Status	Closed
Building Style	Cottage Plan
Location	1818 Strasburg Road, West Bradford, PA
Peak Patient Population	300 in 1947
Alternate Names	Embreeville Complex Chester County Poor House Chester County Almshouse

History

Original Function

This facility started out as the Chester County Almshouse in 1798, and was intended to care for the insane poor and neglected of the county. The commonwealth would later want counties to construct independent facilities that could provide care for the indigent insane and, beginning in 1898, work began on land where the "new" poorhouse would be located. The facility developed into a working community where able-bodied people earned their keep by performing a variety of tasks from farming to sewing, laundry and related chores. This new site would accommodate the growing need of the destitute in the region. Not far from the original poorhouse was a Potter’s Field, where less fortunate people without a family or means of support were buried. By 1900, patients from Norristown State Hospital were relocated to the new Embreeville asylum, which was functioning as a semi-autonmous hospital. Over time, additional modern buildings were constructed to house a growing mentally ill population. It was offically acquired by the state from Chester County in 1914.

As a State Hospital

On September 29, 1938 the commonwealth took total control of the facility as part of their new state-wide legislation, known as the "Full State Care Act". The legislature (Act #53) assumed responsibility for eight of the thirteen existing county public mental hospitals, the other five hospitals were closed. This same piece of legislation would transform sites like Philadelphia City Farms into Philadelphia State Hospital. It was designated that Embreeville would serve Lancaster and Chester County in Pennsylvania as part of their catchment area. Embreeville was cited by the American Psychiatric Association as one of three "model hospitals" in the country. Dr. Arthur Hecker, the hospital superintendent, upon hearing this honor stated "We're naturally quite proud to be so honored by our peers... but we're even more pleased about a fact that helped make it possible. We have 100 percent turnover of beds each year."

In 1971, a juvenile detention center was place within a few buildings at the hospital site for six years, before finally moving on to better physical accommodations. By 1979, the total statewide state hospital census was reduced to 10,573 patients, and resulted in the closure of several smaller state hospitals. Embreeville was the second sate facility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to close its doors, in 1980, following that of Hollidaysburg State Hospital.

Fate of the Property

For the better part of the three decades the site of Embreeville stood abandoned, and the physical site slowly deteriorated because of the commonwealth's neglect. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. As of December 2012, Hellings Holdings LLC was awarded the 225-acre former hospital property in for an asking price of $950,000. According to the developer, plans for the land include residential development with some commercial zoning. However, because of the property’s location, commercial development plans call for certain necessary amenities.

The Potters field, where patients were buried, outside of the hospital grounds are still marked by the local governemnt. The wooden sign bears the inscription "Known but to God, respected by us", in clear reference to the anonymity of the graves on-site. 204 lonely charcoal grey stone tablets remain there as well, honoring the lives of the poor, which passed unknown to humanity.

Images of Embreeville State Hospital

Main Image Gallery: Embreeville State Hospital

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Related Links

• Developer wins bid for Embreeville property
• Pennsylvania's Embreeville State School and Hospital Property, Chester County Now Up for Public Bid
• Pennsylvania selling former ‘Hospital for the Insane’ in Chesco
• Embreeville Hospital cited as a model hospital for mental health care
• Living History: Embreeville -- Yesterday and today