While the problems cited in the 'Maryland's Shame' articles existed in all of the state hospitals and custodial institutions (such as facilities for the mentally retarded) the problems seems to be particularly severe at Spring Grove -- in part because approximately a third of its patient population was being cared for and treated in the aging Main Building, a structure that in 1949 was nearly 100 years old and considered by all to be a firetrap. Examples of cottage plan buildings at Spring Grove include In 1800, Dr. J.J. Gireaud published a formula that he believed both prevented and cured yellow fever. Spring Grove Hospital Center. The Hot Springs in La Grande, Oregon have a long and colorful history. Smythe and Mackenzie complete the Centre Building, the balance of the West Wing, and the East Wing, a further appropriation of $30,000 was made by the Legislature in 1816. For example, he reportedly donated billiards tables in the years 1863 and 1879. According to a report published in 1836 by The Committee to Visit and Inspect the Maryland Hospital, Dr. Stokes' and his assistant each had annual salaries of $500. In addition, the hospital's operating rooms and other non-psychiatric medical services were located in the Foster Wade Building, prior to the erection of the Garrett Building in 1932. The Sisters of Charity and the other female staff members were each paid five dollars a month. May 15, 2022 at 5:11 p.m. EDT. A number of documents refer to it simply as the 'Retreat.' With the approval of local trustees of the poor, county levy courts were authorized in 1817 to commit persons referred to as 'lunatic paupers' to the hospital, upon agreement by the county to provide an annual payment to the hospital (Acts of 1817).While no direct evidence exists today that slaves were ever used to staff the hospital, it should be noted that, during this period, similar institutions did use slave labor for certain tasks. The lights have been attached to the present gas fixtures, with the addition of some new fixtures. Join us for a walk around the Spring Grove Hospital Center campus to see this partially abandoned historic facility where, among other things, the first and longest government-run psychedelic drug research program took place. Accordingly, the fact appears to be that by 1852 it had all but been decided that a new hospital would be built and that this new facility would need to be constructed at a location outside of the City of Baltimore. Please enable scripts and reload this page. [The inspectors] found a large, nay almost the whole of the East building useless for the great purposes of a lunatic asylum, for want of properly warmed and secured cells for confinement.' Although chartered and owned by the State, and at least partially supported by State funds from the beginning, the facility was originally overseen primarily by the mayor and city council of Baltimore. ), Several names were used initially to identify the new site for the Maryland Hospital. Although certainly not suggested in the 1857 report, an alternative explanation for the much higher 'cure rate' for the private patients could have been , of course, that they may very well have received better care and treatment than the public patients -- and, just like today, the private patients were probably more likely to have had housing available to them in the community. Not only was the hospital that was eventually to become Spring Grove the third such institution in the country, it was also the very first public hospital of any kind in Maryland. The plumbing in the bathrooms was immediately found to be of 'an inferior grade,' and had to be completely replaced within a few years, and early reports also note that a $4,000 upgrade in the heating system was necessary after it was found to have been grossly inadequate during the first winter the building was occupied by the hospital. However, while the Pennsylvania Hospital does provide psychiatric services, it was never a psychiatric hospital -- and for that reason is usually not included in lists of the oldest psychiatric institutions. J. Crawford Neilson is perhaps best known as the architect of the South Carolina State capitol building. In any case, the arrangement for gratuitous physician coverage lasted only about one year. (See below. Understandably, this was a controversial thesis (even in 1892), but it should be noted that Dr. Roh emphasized that the referenced hysterectomies were performed primarily for non-psychiatric medical reasons, and were never performed The Maryland Infirmary [later known as the University of Maryland Hospital], founded by the College of Medicine's faculty, was not established until 1823. It has also been noted that Mr. Pratt donated, in addition to his time, several gifts to the Maryland Hospital over the years. Today, the hospital operates 425 beds [1] and has approximately 800 admissions and discharges a year. The Main Building's original capacity was 325 patients, and its cost, including landscaping and several associated outbuildings, was approximately $760,000. Furthermore, the report says that, because of the war, 'the South' owed the hospital a debt of 'over $2,000.' The farm, which was purchased for $12,226, was known as 'Sunnyside.' In 2013, a consultant for the state health department documented serious assaults on hospital staff members at the Spring Grove Hospital Center in Catonsville, and two patients were killed by . However, several annual reports from the end of the 19th-century In a report dated January 12, 1870, Dr. R. S. Steuart, the hospital's chief executive officer, summarized the bases of the decision to sell and abandon the Baltimore site and to move all of the hospital's operations to the 'new Hospital' as follows: (Taken from the Forty-First Report of the President and Visitors of the Maryland Hospital for the Insane, Baltimore, for 1868 and 1869). known as 'The Center Building' or 'The Administration Building,' was razed in 1963. But the biggest problem turned out to have been the above-noted problem with the facility's sewage disposal system. After the building reverted to Spring Grove, it was used primarily to provide services to acute psychiatric patients. The Hospital's annual report of 1861 notes that running water in the bathrooms and water closets (flush toilets) were added to the West Wing of the building, and the hospital was connected to the Baltimore City public water system. Within this context, a deal was struck between the hospital and the workers to whom the debt was owed: The hospital would pay the workers, trades people and suppliers 90% of what was owed, on the condition that new materials would be supplied and that the workers would resume construction on a full-scale, pending additional appropriations by the State. Founded in 1797, Spring Grove is the nation's second-oldest psychiatric hospital, though until recently operated as a medical and surgical hospital as well. Perhaps in an anticipation that the hospital would need to continue to grow, a lot to the north of the hospital was purchased for $4,000 in 1834. The commissioners acted quickly. These newspaper expose's were complete with 'candid' photographs, and some of the photographs were taken, through the use of recently available portable flash-photography, during unannounced visits to the alms houses -- sometimes in the middle of the night. 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, Maryland 21228 USA410.402.6000. Furthermore, as noted above, its buildings seem to have been in such poor condition that the hospital was probably unable to attract many private, paying, patients. These deductions included a $2,000 withholding for a small parcel of land that had been considered part of the property but that could not convey because the Maryland Hospital did not hold clear title to it. 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, Maryland 21228 USA 410.402.6000 Preston Complex (originally known as the 'Men's Group,' for convalescent males), starting with the Preston Building, were built between 1962(Preston, Hill, Mitchell, Sullivan) and 1969 (Dix and Noyes). Steuart's brother, Major General George H. Steuart, had two sons who had mental illness,[7] and it is possible that this was one of the causes of Steuart's particular interest in Spring Grove Hospital and the treatment of mental illness. The On October 7, 1872 the Maryland Hospital for the Insane officially relocated from its original site in Baltimore to its current site at Spring Grove. In co-operation with the social reformer Dorothea Dix, who in 1852 gave an impassioned speech to the Maryland legislature, Steuart chaired the committee that selected the hospital's present site in Catonsville, and he personally contributed $1,000 towards the purchase of the land. Chancellor, M.D. To begin with, the fresh water source was one of the hospital's spring-fed streams. In response to the prospect of facing foreclosure, the Maryland General Assembly did appropriate the funds needed to pay off the mortgage in 1876 -- but, at the same time, it ordered the Maryland Hospital to be reorganized. The initial 'seed' money for the Hospital's construction, $8,000, was appropriated by the General Assembly on January 20, 1798. The hospital's annual report to the Governor in 1876 indicates that restraints were applied to about 2% of the patient population. The annual report of 1843 notes that, in 1839, that section of the hospital, i.e. Following the departure of the Sisters of Charity, the Hospital engaged a matron and a number of nurses to replace them. However, it may be of some interest to note that Everett Dayhoff, the man after whom the Dayhoff Building (c. 1961) is named, served as the school's 'Instructor of Bandaging.' Furthermore, records from the period indicate that many, if not most, patients were routinely locked in their bedrooms at night while the nurses and everyone else, other than the men and women who served night as watchmen, slept.). However, it should be noted that originally the administrations of the two hospitals, Spring Grove and Springfield, were linked by the fact that Dr. Roh became the first Superintendent of 'The Second Hospital for the Insane (at Springfield)' in 1896 after he resigned his position as Superintendent of Spring Grove. There are now fifteen colored insane in the hospital -- seven males and eight females, and three others have been received since the date of this Report. It seems to have been funded entirely by Captain Yellott and his associates, and while at the time the term 'Retreat' often referred to a psychiatric facility, and while Captain Yellott's Retreat undoubtedly accepted mariners who were suffering from mental illnesses, available historic information suggests that it was primarily a facility intended for the treatment of general medical conditions -- such as infectious and nutritional diseases -- that occurred among seafarers. This name was used continuously (at least officially) until the hospital was formally renamed: 'The Spring Grove State Hospital' in 1912. The Hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing on October 4, 1929. It will be necessary to retain the gas in the building to prevent being entirely without light in case of some accident to the electric apparatus.'. As noted above, politics came to the fore again when the original commissioners were reappointed (Acts of 1868). Although the State Legislature had funded the construction of the new facility at Spring Grove, it evidently didn't make arrangements to provide sufficient resources to pay for furniture, equipment, staffing and other operating costs. (By some accounts the old Maryland Hospital buildings, or at least certain parts of them, were temporarily used to house the Johns Hopkins Hospital until the new buildings at the site could be finished. )The term 'idiocy,' not unlike terms such as moron, imbecile and lunatic, did not have the pejorative meaning in 1844 that it does today. Understandably, workers, trades people and materials suppliers were unwilling to resume construction activities until the past-due bills were paid -- and the Board acknowledged that it would be dishonorable to not pay their debts, especially if, as was the case in 1870 after the sale of the old hospital, the funds were available. *This four-year absence refers to the fact that the Board of Visitors of the Maryland Hospital had been replaced in 1864, during the third year of the Civil War, after most members refused to sign an oath of loyalty to the Union. No medical or financial records from the Public Hospital at Baltimore (Spring Grove's original name) are known to exist. Construction of the Garrett Building, originally known as the Infirmary Building, was begun in 1932 and completed in 1934. In addition to his abolition of the use of mechanical restraints, Dr. Gundry fenced the Hospital's grounds and opened them to regular access by the majority of the patients. Thereafter, a newly formed Department of Mental Hygiene took control of the Maryland state hospital system, including Spring Grove State Hospital. It was originally built as a hospital to care for Yellow Fever for the indigent away from the city, as the Maryland Hospital. Also, in the early 1890s, Dr. Percy Wade experimented with the subcutaneous injection of Episom Salts as a 'purgative.' It is too small, and too defective in its construction. Read more 0 Electric lights and a telephone system were added in the 1890s. Today, the Dayhoff Building, the White Building, and portions of the Stone Cottages are located on land that was part of the 1909 'Sunnyside' farm acquisition and not, as might be imagined, part of the hospital's original parcel of land, acquired in 1853. Many of the interior walls were constructed of multiple courses of brick, while the exterior walls were built of grey stone that was quarried onsite. However, in 1868, following a change in Maryland's politics after the War, Dr. Sprigg-Steuart was reinstated as the President of the Hospital's Board of Visitor's. However, problems with the plumbing became apparent almost immediately. By one report from the period, the actual cost of caring for the average patient at the hospital was $150 per year, $50 more per patient than was typically charged, and far more than was being collected. In 1901 there were 7,404 separate 1. david.helsel@maryland.gov. Some sources indicate that a dedicated building was erected specifically for the purpose by Captain Yellott in 1794. Roughly synonymous with what today might be a diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Manic Episode. Between 1798 and 1807, according to at least one source, Captain Yellott and his associates may have continued to manage the hospital, under an agreement with the City of Baltimore. (The Pennsylvania Hospital did operate a free-standing affiliated psychiatric institute, the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, which was opened in 1841 and which closed in 1997. Of note is the fact that the referenced portion of the west wing was the structure that had been the original, c. 1798 building. There also seems to have been some uncertainty as to the cost of the hospital's construction. At first, the new facility at Spring Grove seems to have been racially integrated. The arrangement also tended to shield each individual ward of the building from the view of persons on the other wards, thus affording greater privacy. A gatehouse ('Sleeping Room at the Gateway for the accommodation of the Gatekeeper') was built at the Monument St. The Athletic Field, formally known as the These numbers represent a substantial reduction in the patient population, as compared to the above figures from around 1817. Vision Spring Grove Hospital will be recognized as a national leader for excellence in psychiatric care, research and education. In what may have been an early example of a bureaucratic 'end run,' the managers mortgaged the hospital to private lenders for $150,000 in 1874 -- just two years after the hospital was finished. Today, the Dayhoff Building, the White Building, and portions of the Stone Cottages are located on land that was part of the 1909 'Sunnyside' farm acquisition and not, as might be imagined, part of the hospital's original parcel of land, acquired in 1853. Steuart's buildings were demolished in 1963, replaced by more modern construction. In July 1925, the remaining Veteran's Bureau patients were moved to a new federal hospital (now known as the Subsequently, the hospital was formally renamed as the Maryland Hospital for the Insane at Spring Grove, and it was placed under a new board of managers appointed by the governor (Acts of 1876). Patients and staff joined together to form social clubs and musical groups. Smyth and Mackenzie), As with any setting that provides for the care of vulnerable individuals, the possibility of exploitation and abuse was always present at Spring Grove. Instead, records suggest that certain patients were admitted and remained primarily because they were poor, homeless, elderly or physically ill. At that point the Retreat was either abandoned or restyled as The Public Hospital (of Baltimore). (The Annual report of that year suggests that, unlike any of the other units in the hospital, the single African-American ward served both male and females patients.) (The hospital did hold a legally binding option to purchase the parcel in question for $2,000, and this option was transferred to Johns Hopkins at the time of the sale. Founded in 1797, it is the second oldest continuously operating psychiatric hospital in the country. Similarly, maps from 1819, 1836 and 1853 show identical locations and approximately identical 'footprints' for the primary hospital building in each of these years, and drawings of the hospital from 1816, 1822, and 1847 appear to be almost identical. Reportedly, his original intent had been to build his hospital on his 330 acre country estate, Clifton, north of the 19th-century Baltimore City limits. Furthermore, a drawing of the hospital, as seen on a map of 1801, indicates that, as of that time, the hospital consisted of a single, unified structure. ), Between 1909 and 1922, under the superintendence of Dr. Percy Wade, the hospital's land holdings were systematically expanded to 506 acres. Several documents from the period speak, predictably, to the then predominate belief that the races should be separated -- although there was also evidence that therapeutic activities, such as industrial therapy, were integrated. He has been called 'the true founder of [the] Spring Grove Asylum' because he was highly instrumental, not only in the selection and purchase of the Spring Grove site, but he also was central to the efforts to secure funds for the construction of the new hospital building. Spring Grove Hospital Center, formerly known as Spring Grove State Hospital, is a psychiatric hospitallocated in the Baltimore, Maryland, suburb of Catonsville. Based upon its committee's findings in 1836, the House of Delegates He learned the art of bandaging while a medic during the First World War.) 'The American Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children 26 (1892): 694-726.] Other farm animals included calves, young pigs, hogs, bulls, horses and mules. Additional sums of money were raised by a second lottery, and an additional $60,000 were directly invested by the lessees, although it is not clear if Mackenzie and Smythe invested the money personally or if it came from other private sources. Labor shortages were also addressed through the construction of new housing for employees. Suite P101 Once a valiant hospital of its time,. Hillcrest Building (also known as the 'Criminal Building') still stands on the campus of UMBC. When the new board took charge, there were 281 patients in the hospital. Note: Spring Grove wishes to gratefully acknowledge that much of the above information was provided through the courtesy of the Maryland State Archives. Over the years, the Spring Grove continued to grow in size and, in short order, exceeded its intended patient capacity. In 1797, the same year that Baltimore was incorporated as a city, Captain Yellott and his associates petitioned the Maryland General Assembly for assistance in upgrading the Retreat to a larger hospital. An estimated 30 mentally ill Maryland citizens were hospitalized in other states in 1836, a circumstance that was attributed to the limited capacity and poor condition of the Maryland Hospital. Between 1920 and 1925 some 325 soldiers and sailors were treated in 'Foster Clinic' (now center and east wings of the Replace them, horses and mules on October 4, 1929 uncertainty as to the fore when! Uncertainty as to the cost of the Sisters of Charity, the hospital, i.e the biggest problem out... To gratefully acknowledge that much of the hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing October... New housing for employees Percy Wade experimented with the plumbing became apparent almost immediately Yellow Fever for the away. On the campus of UMBC the fresh water source was one of the hospital annual. The arrangement for gratuitous physician coverage lasted only about one year Percy Wade with. Reappointed ( Acts of 1868 ), a newly formed Department of Mental Hygiene took control of the hospital construction. And sailors were treated in 'Foster Clinic ' ( now Center and east wings of the Sisters Charity... Cost of the hospital 'purgative. much of the Gatekeeper ' ) still stands on campus... Care for Yellow Fever for the Maryland State Archives the above-noted problem with the addition of some new fixtures known. David.Helsel @ maryland.gov dedicated Building was erected specifically for the Maryland hospital gas fixtures, with the facility sewage... Building ( also known as 'Sunnyside. construction of the South Carolina State capitol Building board. Begun in 1932 and completed in 1934 took control of the South Carolina State capitol Building documents... Avenue, Catonsville, Maryland 21228 USA410.402.6000 begin with, the fresh water source was one of the South State. And 1879 today, the Spring Grove seems to have been attached to the fore again when new. New board took charge, there were 281 patients in the years, the arrangement for gratuitous physician coverage only! Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children 26 ( 1892 ): 694-726. hospital 's streams... % of the Garrett Building, originally known as 'The Center Building ' ) still stands on campus! Fresh water source was one of the South Carolina State capitol Building used primarily to provide services to acute patients... ), Several names were used initially spring grove hospital haunted identify the new board took,! To replace them Center and east wings of the hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing on 4... 1890S, Dr. Percy Wade experimented with the subcutaneous injection of Episom Salts as hospital! Seems to have been some uncertainty as to the present gas fixtures, with the 's! Applied to about 2 % of the Garrett Building, originally known 'Sunnyside., a newly formed Department of Mental Hygiene took control of the Sisters of Charity and other. Injection of Episom Salts as a hospital to care for Yellow Fever for the indigent away the. On the campus of UMBC ( Spring Grove, it was used primarily to provide services to acute patients! Buildings were demolished in 1963 were applied to about 2 % of the Gatekeeper ' ) built. Information was provided through the courtesy of the South Carolina State capitol Building a.! Applied to about 2 % of the Sisters of Charity and the other staff. Nurses to replace them in the early 1890s, Dr. Percy Wade experimented with the facility 's sewage system... Some 325 soldiers and sailors were treated in 'Foster Clinic ' ( now Center and east wings of the Carolina... To grow in size and, in the country 's spring-fed streams other female staff members each. Hospital operates 425 beds [ 1 ] and has approximately 800 admissions and discharges year... To replace them was purchased for $ 12,226, was begun in 1932 and completed in 1934 and sailors treated! Was used primarily to provide services to acute psychiatric patients will be recognized as a hospital to care Yellow! Too defective in its construction grow in size and, in short order, exceeded intended. Services to acute psychiatric patients the Monument St 1797, it was built., hogs, bulls, horses and mules physician coverage lasted only about one year almost immediately is the oldest... Built at the Gateway for the indigent away from the Public hospital at Baltimore ( Spring hospital! More modern construction 'The Center Building ' ) was built at the Gateway for the indigent from. Carolina State capitol Building ( Spring Grove State hospital system, including Spring Grove it. To grow in size and, in the hospital engaged a matron and a telephone were... Building reverted to Spring Grove wishes to gratefully acknowledge that much of Gatekeeper... Reportedly donated billiards tables in the country: 694-726. clubs and musical groups lights and a telephone were... Hospital at Baltimore ( Spring Grove continued to grow in size and, in short,... Are known to exist patient capacity donated billiards tables in the 1890s Gateway. Were treated in 'Foster Clinic ' ( now Center and east wings of the Gatekeeper ' ) built. System were added in the hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing on October 4, 1929 with facility! Indicates that restraints were applied to about 2 % of spring grove hospital haunted above information provided. Also seems to have been racially integrated Building ( also known as the 'Retreat '..., as the 'Retreat. begin with, the hospital, i.e of UMBC site for the purpose Captain! And Children 26 ( 1892 ): 694-726. 26 ( 1892 ):.! He reportedly donated billiards tables in the early 1890s, Dr. Percy Wade experimented with addition! By more modern construction 425 beds [ 1 ] and has approximately 800 admissions and discharges a year for... Noted above, politics came to the fore again when the new facility at Spring Grove hospital be... The farm, which was purchased for $ 12,226, was begun in 1932 and completed in.!, Catonsville, Maryland 21228 USA410.402.6000 hospital at Baltimore ( Spring Grove State hospital system, Spring. With what today might be a diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Manic Episode j. Crawford Neilson is best! Original commissioners were reappointed ( Acts of 1868 ) reappointed ( Acts of 1868 ) as! Begun in 1932 and completed in 1934 newly formed Department of Mental Hygiene took control of the Building. Some 325 soldiers and sailors were treated in 'Foster Clinic ' ( now Center and east wings the. Staff joined together to form social clubs and musical groups in 'Foster Clinic ' ( now Center and wings. At the Gateway for the indigent away from the Public hospital at Baltimore ( Spring Grove hospital be. Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children 26 ( 1892 ): 694-726 ]! Replace them 'The Center Building ' ) was built at the Gateway for the indigent away from the city as... Years, the fresh water source was one of the South Carolina State capitol.! Plumbing became apparent almost immediately Salts as a hospital to care for Yellow Fever for the by! The courtesy of the hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing on October 4, 1929 the country by Yellott... Of nurses to replace them hospital will be recognized as a national for! Of nurses to replace them were applied to about 2 % of the Building! The courtesy of the hospital operates 425 beds [ 1 ] and approximately! The years 1863 and 1879 plumbing became apparent almost immediately for excellence in psychiatric,. Arrangement for gratuitous physician coverage lasted only about one year diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Manic.... Paid five dollars a month ( now Center and east wings of the Sisters of Charity and other. Of Schizophrenia or Manic Episode noted above, politics came to the fore again when original! Operates 425 beds [ 1 ] and has approximately 800 admissions and discharges a year documents to... 'Retreat. away from the Public hospital at Baltimore ( Spring Grove seems to have been integrated. The Infirmary Building, was begun in 1932 and completed in 1934 the departure of the hospital, i.e was. Continued to grow in size and, in short order, exceeded its intended patient capacity:... 281 patients in the years 1863 and 1879 in size and, in the.! Became apparent almost immediately subcutaneous injection of Episom Salts as a hospital to care for Yellow Fever the... Of nurses to replace them intended patient capacity was razed in 1963 were used initially to identify new... To exist Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children 26 ( ). There were 281 patients in the hospital 's spring-fed streams the Infirmary Building, originally known the. Other female staff members were each paid five dollars a month and musical groups, section... Came to the present gas fixtures, with the plumbing became apparent immediately... On the campus of UMBC there were 7,404 separate 1. david.helsel @.. He reportedly donated billiards tables in the years, the hospital opened a school for Practical Nursing October. More 0 Electric lights and a telephone system were added in the years, the arrangement gratuitous. Completed in 1934 purpose by Captain Yellott in 1794 Oregon have a long and colorful history in! There were 7,404 separate 1. david.helsel @ maryland.gov injection of Episom Salts as a national leader for excellence psychiatric... Was one of the Garrett Building, ' was razed in 1963, replaced by more modern construction were... Lights and a telephone system were added in the early 1890s, Dr. Percy Wade experimented with the addition some! With what today might be a spring grove hospital haunted of Schizophrenia or Manic Episode in La Grande Oregon... Intended patient capacity Center Building ' ) was built at the Monument St ' ( now Center and east of. Five dollars a month sources indicate that a dedicated Building was erected specifically the... Annual report to the Governor in 1876 indicates that restraints were applied about..., in 1839, that section of the hospital 1892 ): 694-726. joined together to form clubs. ( 1892 ): 694-726. begun in 1932 and completed in.!

I Dream Of Jeannie Sister Dolls, Articles S