Harrisburg State Hospital: Pennsylvania's First Public Asylum

Images of America: Pennsylvania

by Phillip N. Thomas

Harrisburg State Hospital opened in 1851 as the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, the first public institution in the state. Situated atop a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, the original building was an early example of a Kirkbride design hospital. The facility closed in 2006 after serving the commonwealth for 155 years. Harrisburg State Hospital: Pennsylvania's First Public Asylum presents a pictorial history of the hospital from the first year of only 12 patients through the peak of state care, when the population reached over 2,500 in the 1950's. Harrisburg State Hospital was an innovative leader in the treatment of the mentally ill, pioneering new methods of therapy even before they were common practice. It was a community and a home for those whom society could not otherwise care for.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2013

Reviews

[Ashten Swartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Great Grandmother worked in this hospital in the 60s and 70s, so when I found this book, I needed to read it. Such an interesting history. It reminded me of some things from the book God’s Hotel in the original way the institution was run…focusing on nutrition, fresh air, and useful work to do.