Columbia County Asylum
From Asylum Projects
| Columbia County Asylum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1858 and 1885 |
| Construction Began | 1858 with additions in 1867 and 1878. |
| Opened | 1859 |
| Closed | 1971 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Location | Wyocena, WI |
| Alternate Names |
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History
The Columbia County Asylum was voted for in Nov. of 1858 as prior to the creation of a county asylum each town was left to take care of the mentally ill. In December of 1858 the old Exchange Hotel and 1 acre of land were bought for use as the Columbia County Asylum and poor house. First housed in this reused hotel, the site was known as the County Insane Asylum and Poor Home at Wyocena.
Brick additions were added to the old Exchange hotel in 1867 and 1878 but by the 1885 the building was not suitable to house all of the poor and insane so a separate insane asylum was opened. This building was to become known as the Columbia County Asylum.
