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| | {{infobox institution | | {{infobox institution |
| | | name = Woodville State Hospital | | | name = Woodville State Hospital |
| − | | image = WoodvilleSH 04.jpg | + | | image = |
| | | image_size = | | | image_size = |
| | | alt = | | | alt = |
| | | caption = | | | caption = |
| − | | established = 1939 (As a PA State Hospital) | + | | established = Sept 29, 1938 (As a PA State Hospital) |
| − | | construction_began = | + | | construction_began = 1854 |
| | | construction_ended = | | | construction_ended = |
| − | | opened = 1854 | + | | opened = |
| | | closed = 1992 | | | closed = 1992 |
| | | demolished = | | | demolished = |
| − | | current_status = [[Demolished Institution|Demolished]] | + | | current_status = [[Closed Institution|Closed]] |
| | | building_style = [[Cottage Planned Institutions|Cottage Plan]] | | | building_style = [[Cottage Planned Institutions|Cottage Plan]] |
| − | | architect(s) = Howard Sterling & Thomas B. Garman | + | | architect(s) = |
| − | | location = Collier, PA | + | | location = |
| | | architecture_style = | | | architecture_style = |
| − | | peak_patient_population = 3,200 | + | | peak_patient_population = 2,428 in 1947 |
| − | | alternate_names =<br> | + | | alternate_names = |
| − | *Allegheny County Almshouse
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| | *Allegheny Hospital for the Insane | | *Allegheny Hospital for the Insane |
| − | *Allegheny County Home for the Poor
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| | }} | | }} |
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| − | ==History==
| + | 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. |
| − | Originally founded as the Allegheny County Home for the Poor in 1854, the hospital was owned and operated by the county government until May 31, 1939 when it was taken over by the state of Pennsylvania along with 11 other county owned mental hospitals.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pkkqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N0wEAAAAIBAJ&dq=woodville%20state%20hospital&pg=1813%2C5815190</ref> When the state took control of the hospital 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. In 1983 the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare proposed closing the hospital, but instead closed the much smaller [[Dixmont State Hospital]] in 1984. The hospital was finally closed by the state in 1992. At the time of it's closing the hospital still cared for 460 patients. Each patient was evaluated and either sent to [[Mayview State Hospital]] or were put into community care programs.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xXMdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_mMEAAAAIBAJ&dq=woodville%20state%20hospital&pg=6222%2C208009</ref> Soon after the closing many of the hospital buildings were torn down as land was divided up and sold. PennDot was the first to build on the former hospital property. Their new 4 million dollar District 11 Headquarters, built on the front lawn of the hospital, was completed the same year the hospital closed.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B_cjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B2QEAAAAIBAJ&dq=woodville%20state%20hospital%20penndot&pg=2333%2C2710189</ref> PennDot received scrutiny for spending money on a new building rather than using hospital buildings for it's new headquarters.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y1kNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SG8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=woodville%20state%20hospital%20penndot&pg=2621%2C54307</ref> Former hospital land is also home to a school, shopping mall, and residential developments. As of 2009 the only remnant of the hospital is the power plant smoke stack. | |
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| − | == Cemetery Information ==
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| − | The cemetery remains in a wooded area of the property. A memorial, erected in 1987, stands at the entrance to the cemetery, showing the dates of the cemetery as 1867-1949. The graves do not have names, but are numbered with markers approximately 10" tall, in neat rows in numerical order. We found up to 692 graves numbered this way. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds 1920 diagram of burial plot locations of deceased patients in the cemetery of the Allegheny County Home for the Insane and Tuberculosis Sanitarium, including first and last name of patients. One hundred and ninety-six burial plots are labeled with their plot number and the name of the person buried there. Additionally, the Collier Township webpage has gathered a list of graveyard numbers, patient name and number, and location on the 1920 census. One grave also has the tombstone of John Nayder - 1868-1932. One additional marker contains initials only of TNDW and CH. All of the photos were taken in March 2008.<ref>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njm1/08Woodville-Collier.html</ref> <ref>https://archon.klnpa.org/psa/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=3516&q=</ref> <ref> https://www.colliertownship.net/225/Woodville-State-Hospital</ref>
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| − | == Images of Woodville State Hospital == | + | == Images of Western State Psychiatric Institute == |
| − | {{image gallery|[[Woodville State Hospital Image Gallery|Woodville State Hospital]]}}
| + | |
| | <gallery> | | <gallery> |
| − | File:WoodvilleSH 01.jpg | + | File:Woodville aerial.jpg |
| − | File:WoodvilleSH 02.jpg
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| − | File:PAallegheny.png
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| − | File:PAallegheny1.png
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| − | File:woodvillePA001.jpg
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| | </gallery> | | </gallery> |
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| − | ==Videos==
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| − | *The following is a six minute video showing the hospital cemetery.
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| − | {{#ev:youtube|PFXYGDZpjjs}}
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| − | == Links & Additional Information ==
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| − | *[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njm1/08Woodville-Collier.html Cemetery Information]
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| − | *[https://archon.klnpa.org/psa/?p=collections/classifications&id=593 Woodville State Hospital records available at the Pennsylvania State Archives]
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| | [[Category:Pennsylvania]] | | [[Category:Pennsylvania]] |
| | [[Category:Cottage Plan]] | | [[Category:Cottage Plan]] |
| − | [[Category:Demolished Institution]] | + | [[Category:Closed Institution]] |
| − | [[Category:Institution With A Cemetery]]
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| − | [[Category:Articles With Videos]]
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| − | [[Category:Past Featured Article Of The Week]]
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