St Josephs Retreat
| St. Joseph's Retreat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Construction Began | 1883 |
| Demolished | 1963 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Kirkbride Plan |
| Location | Dearborn, MI |
| Alternate Names |
|
History
The St Joseph's Retreat was established in 1860 as the Michigan State Retreat. This was Michigan's first Private Mental Institution. It was started by the Daughter's of Charity of St Vincent's de Paul. In 1855 the Sister's of St Mary's Hospital began to care for the Mentally ill, who had formerly been confined to prisons or The County Poor House. In 1860, they opened a seperate facility named the Michigan State Retreat, which was incorporated in 1883 as St Joseph's Retreat. The original Building stood on 140 acres over looking the Rouge River. It was later enlarged to house 400 patients. At first these were Civil War Veterans, and later, alcoholics and drug addicts, and other "incurables" who were re-habed. In 1889 the first telephone installed in Dearborn, was at the Retreat.
Dearborn High School was built on land that formerly belonged to the Retreat. A Historic Marker stands at the corners of Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive, marking the site.
Democratic State Legislature of Florida and U.S. Senator, Charles Wm. Jones (1834 - 1897) died here on October 11, 1897. It had many architectural characteristics of other Kirkbride asylums in the state. It was closed and demolished in 1963. Dearborn High School was built on land that formerly belonged to the Retreat. A Historic Marker stands at the corners of Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive, marking the site.
