Early Years: 1880 to 1909:
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[[image:Norristown 17.jpg|300px|left]]
[[image:Norristown 17.jpg|300px|left]]
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'''Norristown State Hospital''', formally the 'State Lunatic Hospital at Norristown', is an active psychiatric hospital run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and has been operational since it's opening in the spring of 1880. At it's height it maintained a clinical population of about five thousand
patient
and held national renown for its modern psychiatric practices. In more recent years, Norristown State's population has declined to that of about 150
civil
beds. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to maintain
it
, but at a greatly reduced size and capacity. It is currently the only remaining state psychiatric facility active in south-western Pennsylvania with the closure of [[Haverford State Hospital]] in 1998, and [[Allentown State Hospital]] in 2010. It continues to serve the five surrounding Pennsylvania counties- Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester.
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'''Norristown State Hospital''', formally the 'State Lunatic Hospital at Norristown', is an active psychiatric hospital run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and has been operational since it's opening in the spring of 1880. At it's height
in the 1940's
it maintained a clinical population of about five thousand
patients,
and held national renown for its modern psychiatric practices. In more recent years, Norristown State's population has declined
significantly
to that of about 150
civilian
beds. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to maintain
the site
, but at a greatly reduced size and
clinical
capacity. It is currently the only remaining state psychiatric facility active in south-western Pennsylvania with the closure of
[[Philadelphia State Hospital]] in 1990,
[[Haverford State Hospital]] in 1998, and [[Allentown State Hospital]] in 2010. It continues to serve the five surrounding Pennsylvania counties- Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester.
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Since much of the original grounds belonging to the 1880 asylum are no longer used by the modern hospital, it has since been sub-divided to the care of local agencies, such as: Norristown Farm Park, Norris City Cemetery and West Norriton Fire Department. The buildings that
do remains
active with Norristown State Hospital tend to be more modern structure capable of catering to modern psychiatric practices. There are, however, a large number of building on site that are inactive, or completely abandoned and waiting for demolition. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has not made any formal statement about what they intend to do with the site, or if they intend to completely close the state hospital in the immediate future.
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Since much of the original grounds belonging to the 1880 asylum are no longer used by the modern hospital, it has since been sub-divided to the care of local agencies, such as: Norristown Farm Park, Norris City Cemetery
, Elmwood Park Zoo
and West Norriton Fire Department. The buildings that
remain
active with Norristown State Hospital tend to be more modern structure capable of catering to modern psychiatric practices. There are, however, a large number of building on site that are inactive, or completely abandoned and waiting for demolition. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has not made any formal statement about what they intend to do with the site
in the long term
, or if they intend to completely close the state hospital in the immediate future.
== History of the Asylum ==
== History of the Asylum ==
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===Construction===
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=== Construction
: 1876-1880
===
In May 1876, Governor John Hartranft formed a blue-ribbon commission to study the civic need for additional state asylums to tend to the overcrowded county almshouses in the region. They examined the possibility of opening this facility outside of Philadelphia, but without a specific location indicated. They found that Norristown would prove an appropriate location for this project. In that same year, under Public Law 121, the Pennsylvania Legislature called for the establishment of a state mental hospital to serve the Southeastern District of Pennsylvania for the benefit of the poor and those individuals deprived of their reason. A two hundred and sixty five acre tract in the northern part of Norristown borough (which now split between the city of Norristown and East Norriton Township) was chosen for the asylum grounds, at the crossing of Stanbridge and Sterigere Streets. At the time of its construction many of the local residents were farmers, or in the business of agricultural supplies. The properties of Norristown State Hospital were obtained from eight individual properties of local landowners, obtained between the hospital's construction in 1878 and 1918. They were:
In May 1876, Governor John Hartranft formed a blue-ribbon commission to study the civic need for additional state asylums to tend to the overcrowded county almshouses in the region. They examined the possibility of opening this facility outside of Philadelphia, but without a specific location indicated. They found that Norristown would prove an appropriate location for this project. In that same year, under Public Law 121, the Pennsylvania Legislature called for the establishment of a state mental hospital to serve the Southeastern District of Pennsylvania for the benefit of the poor and those individuals deprived of their reason. A two hundred and sixty five acre tract in the northern part of Norristown borough (which now split between the city of Norristown and East Norriton Township) was chosen for the asylum grounds, at the crossing of Stanbridge and Sterigere Streets. At the time of its construction many of the local residents were farmers, or in the business of agricultural supplies. The properties of Norristown State Hospital were obtained from eight individual properties of local landowners, obtained between the hospital's construction in 1878 and 1918. They were:
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The general dimensions of the separate ward buildings were originally 277 feet in length by 90 feet in depth. Each ward building consisted of a basement, used for steam-heating ducts and workshops, and two main stories, each containing two wards and giving four wards to each ward building. Each ward was originally complete in itself, with separate patient rooms, dormitories, dining-rooms, and bath-rooms. The wards are ventilated by stacks with steam coiled at the base for creating the drought that draws the air from the wards.
The general dimensions of the separate ward buildings were originally 277 feet in length by 90 feet in depth. Each ward building consisted of a basement, used for steam-heating ducts and workshops, and two main stories, each containing two wards and giving four wards to each ward building. Each ward was originally complete in itself, with separate patient rooms, dormitories, dining-rooms, and bath-rooms. The wards are ventilated by stacks with steam coiled at the base for creating the drought that draws the air from the wards.
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===Early Years: 1880 to 1909===
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=== Early Years: 1880 to 1909 ===
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Norristown State Hospital received its first patient, a woman, on July 12, 1880 under the supervision of Dr. Robert H. Chase and Dr. Alice Bennett. Two more women arrived on July 13th followed by the first two men on July 17th. Very soon thereafter groups of individuals were admitted from other state hospitals and county almshouses. By September 30, 1880, there were 295 men and 251 women receiving inpatient care and treatment.
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Norristown State Hospital received its first patient, a woman, on July 12, 1880 under the supervision of Dr.
[[
Robert H. Chase
]]
and Dr. Alice Bennett. Two more women arrived on July 13th followed by the first two men on July 17th. Very soon thereafter groups of individuals were admitted from other state hospitals and county almshouses. By September 30, 1880, there were 295 men and 251 women receiving inpatient care and treatment.
Norristown State Hospital was the first of the Pennsylvania state hospitals to construct its buildings deviating slightly from the "Kirkbride Plan", best known as "Transitional Plan". Instead of constructing a single monolithic building, the individual patient wards were separated and free-standing. These building were connected with a series of underground tunnels, including a central tunnel which stretches across the property. Norristown still maintains the schematics of Kirkbride's original plan, with it separation of male and female departments, as well as leveling the acuity of patients by ward.
Norristown State Hospital was the first of the Pennsylvania state hospitals to construct its buildings deviating slightly from the "Kirkbride Plan", best known as "Transitional Plan". Instead of constructing a single monolithic building, the individual patient wards were separated and free-standing. These building were connected with a series of underground tunnels, including a central tunnel which stretches across the property. Norristown still maintains the schematics of Kirkbride's original plan, with it separation of male and female departments, as well as leveling the acuity of patients by ward.
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The late 1960's and early 1970's popular psychiatry stressed an emphasis on placement of many patients into the community and county-funded outpatient clinics, known as BSU's (Base Service Unit), which remain the preferred treatment for the mentally ill. As a result, the census of Norristown State began to drop significantly, as well as at all the other state hospitals nationally. The census of the inpatient population dropped from about 3,200 in February 1968 to slightly over 1,700 in May 1973. This decline continued into the 1980's and 90's with wards being regularly shutdown by the state as a cost-cutting measure. The passing decades also brought a change in the day-to-day therapeutic process the hospital would employ. By the early 1970's, each patient had an individualized personal treatment plan and met regularly with a multidisciplinary treatment team, per the regulations implemented by the state and insurance carriers. This regulations continues to the present with each patient having a period of therapeutic treatment and psycho-educational participation each day verbalized in an individual treatment plan.
The late 1960's and early 1970's popular psychiatry stressed an emphasis on placement of many patients into the community and county-funded outpatient clinics, known as BSU's (Base Service Unit), which remain the preferred treatment for the mentally ill. As a result, the census of Norristown State began to drop significantly, as well as at all the other state hospitals nationally. The census of the inpatient population dropped from about 3,200 in February 1968 to slightly over 1,700 in May 1973. This decline continued into the 1980's and 90's with wards being regularly shutdown by the state as a cost-cutting measure. The passing decades also brought a change in the day-to-day therapeutic process the hospital would employ. By the early 1970's, each patient had an individualized personal treatment plan and met regularly with a multidisciplinary treatment team, per the regulations implemented by the state and insurance carriers. This regulations continues to the present with each patient having a period of therapeutic treatment and psycho-educational participation each day verbalized in an individual treatment plan.
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With the closure of other state psychiatric facility Norristown State appropriated a larger geographical jurisdiction. When [[Philadelphia State Hospital]] closed in 1990 a large number of their acute patients were transferred to units in Norristown for continuity of care purposes. Just the same, when [[Haverford State Hospital]] was shutdown in 1998, the greater part of their inpatient population was also transferred. Norristown
is
also the site of a repository of medical records, particularly of sites that have already been shut down.
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With the closure of other state psychiatric facility Norristown State appropriated a larger geographical jurisdiction. When [[Philadelphia State Hospital]] closed in 1990 a large number of their acute patients were transferred to units in Norristown for continuity of care purposes
. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was able to allocate five million dollars in funds for this transfer
. Just the same, when [[Haverford State Hospital]] was shutdown in 1998, the greater part of their inpatient population was also transferred
to various buildings at Norristown
.
Per the work of many civil employees,
Norristown also
became
the site of a repository of
state
medical records, particularly of sites that have already been shut down.
[[image:Abandoned.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Acute Admissions Building, as of 2010]]
[[image:Abandoned.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Acute Admissions Building, as of 2010]]
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A number of the original 1880 complex have been destroyed or replaced over the years. Of the original seven building complex, only two are still standing adn active. The last bit of construction to take place on the site was Building #48, which houses the Psychology Department and Building #1, 'Lenape Hall', which is an active inpatient unit for the state hospital. A number of the older residential buildings have been set to adaptive re-use, such as the original superintendent's house, which is now a Crisis Residential Program. The acute admissions building is also used at times by local fire academies for common drills.
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A number of the original 1880 complex have been destroyed or replaced over the years. Of the original seven building complex, only two are still standing adn active. The last bit of construction to take place on the site was Building #48, which houses the Psychology Department and Building #1, 'Lenape Hall', which is an active inpatient unit for the state hospital. A number of the older residential buildings have been set to adaptive re-use, such as the original superintendent's house, which is now a Crisis Residential Program. The acute admissions building
, which is damaged beyond restoration,
is also used at times by local fire academies for common drills.
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In more recent years, Norristown State Hospital has assimilated multiple patients and staff from the closures of other state hospitals so now it is the only remaining state hospital in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Many buildings on the grounds are no longer operational, or are uninhabitable and are awaiting demolition. Others still are leased to other mental health agencies, namely: Circle Lodge CRR, Horizon House-ACT, ShopMates, Community Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC), HopeWorx, STAR-Carelink and Montgomery County Emergency Services ([[MCES]]). The grounds are also open to the public, and frequently have pedestrians walking the grounds.
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In more recent years, Norristown State Hospital has assimilated multiple patients and staff from the closures of other state hospitals so now it is the only remaining state hospital in Southeastern Pennsylvania
. Its current catchment area is identical to the catchment area it maintainted at its opening in 1880
. Many
patient
buildings on the grounds are no longer operational, or are uninhabitable and are awaiting demolition. Others still are leased to other mental health agencies, namely: Circle Lodge CRR, Horizon House-ACT, ShopMates, Community Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC), HopeWorx, STAR-Carelink and Montgomery County Emergency Services ([[MCES]]). The grounds are also open to the public, and frequently have pedestrians walking the grounds.
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A number of the buildings on site have become considerable fire hazards because of their decay and poor condition. Collapsing roofs and small fires are not uncommon, and the Norristown Fire Department has been called a number of times to address these issues.
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A number of the buildings on site have become considerable fire hazards because of their decay and poor condition. Collapsing roofs and small fires are not uncommon
to these buildings
, and the Norristown Fire Department has been called a number of times to address these
re-occurring
issues.
+
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==== Outpatient Clinics of Former Catchment Area ====
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'''Montgomery County Clinics'''
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*Central Montgomery Mental Health Clinic (CMMHC)- 1201 DeKalb St., Norristown, PA
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*Creative Health Services, ''previously Western Montgomery Mental Health Clinic'' (EMMHC)- 11 Robsinson St., Pottstown, PA
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*The Creekwood Center at Abington Hospital, ''previously Eastern Montgomery Mental Health Clinic'' (WMMHC)- 3941 Commerce Ave., Willow Grove, PA
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*Northwestern Human Services of Lansdale- 400 North Broad St., Lansdale, PA
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*Lower Merion Counseling Services- 850 Lancaster Ave., Brywn Mar, PA
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*Penn Foundation Mental Health Clinic- 807 Lawn Ave. Sellersville, PA
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'''Bucks County Clinics'''
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*Lenape Valley Menteal Health Clinic- 500 North West St., Doylestown, PA
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*Penndel Mental Health Center- 1517 Durham Rd., Penndel, PA
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*Northwestern Human Services of Newportville- 4404 Sunset Ave., Newportville, PA
== Future of Norristown State Hospital ==
== Future of Norristown State Hospital ==