Difference between revisions of "Portal:Featured Article Of The Week"

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|Title= Elgin State Hospital
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|Title= Northampton State Hospital
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|Image= Northampton_insane_asylum.jpg
 
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|Body= On December 28,1869, the Board of Trustees met to examine the nine plans that had been submitted from various architects for the new asylum. The Board had enlisted the aid of two prominent superintendents to act as advisers. One was Dr. Andrew McFarland, M.D., the Superintendent of the state hospital in Jacksonville. The other was Dr. Richard J. Patterson, M.D., former superintendent of state hospitals in Indianapolis, Indiana and Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Interestingly, the building design of the Jacksonville hospital was largely based on that of the Indiana State Hospital, and is an example of the increasingly common practice of copying designs from one hospital for use at another.
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|Body= The Lunatic Hospital at Northampton was authorized in 1855 to relieve overcrowding in the Commonwealth's existing asylums at Worcester and Taunton, and especially to serve the population of the state's four western counties. It was planned for 250 patients, a population that was not expected to be reached for some time. Before the improvement of the originally purchased 185 acres overlooking the town of Northampton, one mile to the east. Built in 1856, the Northampton Lunatic Hospital was the fourth Kirkbride building constructed; it originally consisted of a single three-story brick building in the Gothic Revival style and had a capacity for 250 patients. Following the Kirkbride design, the central administration floors were flanked by two patient wings, one for males and one for females. After numerous expansions and additions to relieve overcrowding, the building has become a confusing maze of rooms and hallways.  [[Northampton State Hospital|Click here for more...]]
 
 
The original name of the Elgin Mental Health Facility (its current name) was The Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane. The doors opened in 1872, however, construction of additional buildings continued until 1874. A rumor circulated for year, and still exists that the State of Illinois approached the City of Elgin with plans to construct a mental institution and a college and offered Elgin one or the other. As the rumor goes, Elgin took the mental institution, De Kalb took Northern Illinois University. As Elgin Historian and celebrated Elgin History author, Bill Briska points out the rumor, "...is totally false" He goes on to state that, "The state hospital was founded in 1869 and the college in 1892. (there are) No connection between the events".  [[Elgin State Hospital|Click here for more...]]
 
 
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Revision as of 11:35, 21 December 2025

Featured Article Of The Week

Northampton State Hospital


Northampton insane asylum.jpg

The Lunatic Hospital at Northampton was authorized in 1855 to relieve overcrowding in the Commonwealth's existing asylums at Worcester and Taunton, and especially to serve the population of the state's four western counties. It was planned for 250 patients, a population that was not expected to be reached for some time. Before the improvement of the originally purchased 185 acres overlooking the town of Northampton, one mile to the east. Built in 1856, the Northampton Lunatic Hospital was the fourth Kirkbride building constructed; it originally consisted of a single three-story brick building in the Gothic Revival style and had a capacity for 250 patients. Following the Kirkbride design, the central administration floors were flanked by two patient wings, one for males and one for females. After numerous expansions and additions to relieve overcrowding, the building has become a confusing maze of rooms and hallways. Click here for more...