Rochester Psychiatric Center

Rochester Psychiatric Center
Construction Began	1868
Current Status	Active
Building Style	Cottage Plan
Alternate Names	Monroe County Insane Asylum Rochester State Hospital

In 1826 Monroe County established an Alms house in order to care for it's growing population of poor. By 1857 they found the need to open a separate wing of the building simply to house and treat the poor who were mentally disabled. The number of patients in the separate wing had increased so drastically by 1862 that it was necessary to expand into a separate building the housed only the mentally disabled and insane. This separate building was named the Monroe County Insane Asylum.

New York State Legislature passed a bill providing funding for the establishment of state hospitals to care for the insane in 1890, and by July 1, 1891 Monroe County Insane Asylum became Rochester State Hospital. It's current name, Rochester Psychiatric Center, was changed in the early 1970's though it remains a state funded hospital. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office currently operates a forensic unit at the center.