Difference between revisions of "Lake County Poor Asylum"

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Revision as of 23:14, 14 November 2015

Lake County Poor Asylum
Established 1884
Construction Began 1912
Opened 1913
Current Status Preserved
Building Style Single Building
Architect(s) M. Beers
Location Crown Point, IN
Alternate Names
  • Lake County Sanitarium



History

The original location was 4 miles from Crown Point and known as the "County Farm". By the turn of the century a new facility was need as Lake County was growing rapidly due to the new steel mills in Gary. The new buildings consisted of an administration building, 2 men's dormitories, 1 women's dormitory, kitchen & a cell house. The facility was set-up to be self sufficient and the power plant could handle a capacity of about 500. The building's wings were laid out in a way that future expansion would be easily completed. The total cost at the time for the buildings, fully furnished, was about $180,000. The administration building was connected to the dormitories by large enclosed porches that could allow fresh air & sunlight. The dormitory wings are placed at an angle with the central group of buildings for sunlight and air & to facilitate courtyards for outdoor recreation.

The building became a short-term mental health facility after WW2. Patients were either released from here after treatment or relocated to Logansport or Westville State Hospital for long-term treatment. In the 1960s some of the original wings were demolished and a new multi-story building was constructed as a nursing home. By the 1970s the original asylum was converted to be used as offices and still is today.

Images