Galesburg State Research Hospital

Galesburg State Research Hospital
Construction Ended	1943
Opened	1950
Closed	1985
Current Status	Closed
Building Style	Cottage Plan
Location	Galesburg, IL
Peak Patient Population	3,000 1958
Alternate Names	Mayo General Hospital Galesburg Mental Health Center

History

Built in 1943 originally for ill and wounded soldiers returning from World War 2. Consisted of 118 brick buildings connected by 1.5 of enclosed corridors. Contained 2,350 beds and reached a population of 3,000 while under military control. Among those that worked there, 160 German POWs. In 1946 the hospital was declared surplus and turned over to the state of Illinois. In 1949 the state turned it over to the Department of Public Welfare and patients began arriving in November 1950, most of those were from the overcrowded Manteno and Kankakee State Hospitals. In 1955 Dr. Harold Himwich developed the drug Chlorpromazine at Galesburg.

The hospital was planned to primarily care for elderly patients and develop a major research program. By 1960 the hospital began accepting patients of all ages and a focus on alcoholism treatment. The hospital used all types of treatment during it's history including ECT and insulin shock therapy. Patient population peak reached 3,000 by the late 1950s. The hospital was closed in 1985 and research programs moved to Chicago.