Punxsutawney State Hospital

Punxsutawney State Hospital
Punxsutawney State Hospital
Construction Began	1898
Current Status	Closed
Building Style	Single Building

NOTE: Punxsutawney State Hospital was one of many hospitals built for coal miners in Pennsylvania, these hospitals were also referred to as state hospitals, this hospital was not a psychiatric facility.

Located at the corner of Jenks and Park Avenues in Punxsutawney. The Adrian Hospital was founded by Adrian Iselin of New York who gave $5,000 for the purpose. The first hospital building was erected at the Adrian Mines (in Delancey) by the Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Company in 1889. Originally intended to serve the men working in the mines, it soon became a general hospital serving not only the people of Adrian (Delancey) but the people of Punxsutawney as well. Due to its popularity, that building soon became inadequate.

It was decided to move the facility into Punxsutawney. The building was completed in 1898. New Yorker Adrian Iselin’s initial $5000 endowment was augmented with $100,000 in commonwealth funds, leading to a new “State Hospital” designation. Interestingly, in 1902 it cost $5 per week to stay in a hospital ward. A private room cost between $10 to $25 per week. Also of interest, the year 1901 saw the annual expenditure for medical supplies at $234.09 and salaries for nurses totaled $3,160.53. It isn't clear how many nurses were on staff that divided this sum. This building housed the hospital until 1975 when a new building was completed north of town on Route 36. The old structure was remodeled and is now occupied by Wellington Heights which is a personal care facility.