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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
Evansville State Hospital
In 1883, Indiana's Legislature authorized funding to construct a new facility in Evansville to treat mentally ill patients. A secluded, densely wooded farm on Newburgh Road (now Lincoln Avenue), then three miles outside of the city, was selected as the site, and on Oct. 30, 1890, the new hospital admitted its first two patients. Known in its early years as Woodmere ("tranquility in the forest"), The hospital was built on 160 acres of land on Newburgh Road, now known as Lincoln Avenue, between Evansville and Newburgh. The campus quickly expanded, eventually holding nearly 900 acres of what is now the East Side of Evansville, including the land eventually repurposed for Robert Stadium, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and Wesselman’s Woods Nature Preserve. The hospital staffed a working farm using patient labor, including dairy cows, poultry, and an orchard.
A general treatment facility with a long, rich history. Also referred to as "Woodmere", Evansville provided solitude and peace for mentally-ill patients. While Central State Hospital was a progressive force in scientific medicine in the early 20th century, Evansville remained largely a custodial institution. On February 9, 1943, a fire set by an attendant destroyed much of the original building, leaving at least two staff members dead and six patients missing. It was replaced later that year by a "U" shaped building, the Continuing Treatment Unit. By the late 1990s, a new facility was being built & all the old structures were demolished by 2008. The hospital continues to serve southwestern Indiana in its new facility. Click here for more...
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Recent Message Board Posts
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.
