St Josephs Retreat
| St. Joseph's Retreat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1857 |
| Opened | 1860 |
| Demolished | 1962 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Kirkbride Plan |
| Location | Dearborn, MI |
| Alternate Names |
|
History
The St. Joseph's Retreat was established in 1860 as the Michigan State Retreat. This was Michigan's first private mental institution, and allegedly catered mostly to the affluent. It was started by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. In 1855 the Sisters of St. Mary's Hospital began to care for the mentally ill, who had formerly been confined to prisons or the county poor house. In 1860, they opened a separate facility named the Michigan State Retreat, which was incorporated in 1883 as St. Joseph's Retreat. The original building stood on 140 acres overlooking the Rouge River. It was later enlarged to house 400 patients. At first these were Civil War veterans, and later alcoholics, drug addicts, and other "incurables." The first telephone installed in Dearborn was at the Retreat in 1889.
Land owned by St Joseph’s Retreat was gradually sold off starting in the 1930s. A parcel sold off was used for the current Dearborn High School and another parcel was used for Westborn Mall. It was closed and demolished in 1962. A historic plaque stands at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive, marking the site.
Notably, the hospital was designed along the same lines as the other Kirkbrides within the state. Also Florida state legislator and U.S. Senator Charles Wm. Jones (1834 - 1897) died in the hospital on October 11, 1897.
Images of St. Joseph's Retreat
Main Image Gallery: St. Josephs Retreat
