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Welcome to Asylum Projects, A historic asylum wiki anyone can edit. 2,423 articles and counting

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Mission Statement The Mission The mission of this site is to archive both historical and current information on asylums across the United States and around the world. The Statement This site is dedicated to the history of asylums in all forms. The term of asylum is applied to not only what is commonly thought of: mental hospitals, but can also be applied to sanatoriums, state training schools, reform schools, almshouses, and orphanages. These institutions have and continue to play a major part in today's society. Everyone throughout the United States and in many other countries has in one way or another felt the touch of these institutions. These places have both directly and indirectly affected people and their families. They have shaped lives and created many popular myths about them. With all that in mind, this site was created to help in the historical research of any institutions that can be classified as an asylum. It was created for both serious researchers, those who are doing genealogical research, and people with an interest in asylums.

Featured Article Of The Week Mount Hope Retreat In 1840 the Sisters of Charity, because of some dissatisfaction on the part of the Board of Directors, severed their connection with the Maryland Hospital, where for several years they had been in charge of the insane inmates and where they had been eminently successful. The Sisters moved their operations to a of their own, and 17 patients were at once placed in their care. Their first building was a small two-story brick house on Front Street, near Fayette, adjoining St. Vincent's Church. Dr. Durkee was then installed as medical attendant. This building soon proved insufficient and the Sisters were forced to seek more commodious accommodations. They finally purchased a lot improved by a frame building on the Harford Road, a short distance from the city limits, and called it Mount St. Vincent. This was arranged for the accommodation of patients, and the Sisters devoted themselves with renewed zeal and constantly increasing success to the good work they had undertaken. In 1842 Dr. William H. Stokes was invited to assume the medical charge of the new institution and his untiring energy, devotion and fidelity contributed greatly to its advancement and success. With the rapid growth of the institution, Mt. St. Vincent soon became overcrowded with patients, and the Sisters were compelled a second time to seek more ample quarters in order to meet the demand of those who appreciated their kindly care and attention. Click here for more... Archive, Future Featured Articles. Featured Image Of The Week Founded in 1853 by Baltimore merchant Moses Sheppard, after a visit by mental health rights advocate and social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix, the hospital was originally called the Sheppard Asylum. The original buildings were designed by the famous architect Calvert Vaux and constructed on what had previously been a 340 acre farm. The cornerstone of the original building was laid in spring of 1862. Archive, Future Featured Images.

Featured Video The following is a video documentary about the closing of Kings Park State Hospital that was created and uploaded to YouTube by the Kings Park Historical Society. Other Articles With Videos, Future Featured Videos.

Recent Message Board Posts For everyone asking genealogical questions, please read this message from the administrators. Hello, In this space you normally would see our forum. This had been a hold over from earlier days before we had a Facebook page. Just prior to our server issues regular users had been barely using the forum with the majority of new posts from anonymous users asking genealogy questions or spammers. The old forum software does not work with our new version while the new forum software does not carry over old comments to the new forum. As a result, the forum will be discontinued in favor of our Facebook page. If you have questions or comments you can ask them there. Asylum Projects Facebook Page If you have genealogical question here is an information page to help you.