Woodville State Hospital

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Woodville State Hospital
Established Sept 29, 1938 (As a PA State Hospital)
Construction Began 1854
Closed 1992
Current Status Closed
Building Style Cottage Plan
Peak Patient Population 2,428 in 1947
Alternate Names *Allegheny Hospital for the Insane



Originally founded as the Allegheny Hospital for the Insane in 1854, this institution did not come under state ownership until 1941. As one of the state's earliest mental hospitals, Woodville reflected of the influence of Thomas Kirkbride who advocated the use of one large structure to house both male and female patients who were segregated into blocks located to either side of a central administration building. His system of setback wings promoted maximum access of light and air to patient living areas. When the state took control of the hospital, alonmg with of all other county mental hospitals, in 1941 the Allegheny County Institutional District continued to manage the "poor" section of this facility. This arrangement continued until 1958 when the state assumed complete control of all administrative duties. The hospital was closed by the state in 1992.


Images of Woodville State Hospital