Difference between revisions of "Portal:Featured Article Of The Week"

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|Title= Warren State Hospital
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|Title= Tewksbury State Hospital
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|Body= By act of Assembly approved August 14, 1873 (P. L. 333), the Governor of Pennsylvania was authorized to appoint three commissioners to select a site and build a hospital for the insane of the Northwestern district of the state, composed of the counties of Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Warren, McKean, Elk, Forest, Cameron and Clarion, and for such purpose they were empowered to purchase in the name of the commonwealth a farm or tract of land containing not less than 250 acres. The commission appointed was composed of Dr. William Corson, General James A. Beaver and Dr. John Curwen. General Beaver won distinction during the Civil War, became Governor of Pennsylvania and an associate judge of the Superior Court. The other members of the commission were gentlemen of experience in the state care of the insane. The commissioners entering at once upon their duties purchased three contiguous farms in Conewago township, in the County of Warren, embracing 330 acres, and called to their service John Sunderland, an architect of experience in connection with similar institutions. Meantime the Legislature, by act of May 6, 1874 ( P. L. 117), made appropriation for the erection of the hospital and therein empowered the commissioners to reject all bids for construction "if, in the opinion of the commissioners, the bids are higher than they can otherwise procure the material or do the work." Haying ascertained that an excellent quality of gray sandstone, as well as sufficient beds of brick clay, were to be found on the land purchased, the commissioners accordingly rejected all bids, and proceeded to build the hospital under the direction of John Sunderland as supervising architect and builder. By reason of the failure of legislative appropriations to keep pace with the progress of the work, its completion was considerably delayed and the cost incidentally increased. At the end of a period of eight years, however, the building was completed and the commissioners filed their final report. The entire cost was $872,000, or nearly $200,000 less than estimated, notwithstanding that the cost of fireproofing, amounting to about $100,000, was not included in the estimate. [[Warren State Hospital|Click here for more...]]
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|Body= The hospital was established in 1852 as one of three state almshouses needed to help care for the unprecedented influx of immigrants into Massachusetts at that time. The almshouses were the Commonwealth's first venture into caring for the poor, a duty which had previously been carried out by the cities and towns. Opened on May 1, 1854 with a capacity for 500, the almshouse population grew to 668 by the end of the first week, and to over 800 by May 20th. By December 2, 1854, 2,193 "paupers" had been admitted. Nearly 90% of these listed European countries as their birthplace. The almshouse reported having 14 employees at that time, and was spending 94.5 cents per week per resident.
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In 1866 the almshouse began accepting the "pauper insane" becoming the state's first facility to specifically accept cases with the diagnosis of chronic insanity. By 1874 the facility had become diversified: 40% was used as a mental illness ward, 27% as a hospital ward, and 33% as an almshouse. The chronically ill population continued to grow, alcoholics were admitted for treatment, and programs providing therapeutic industrial and occupational therapy were added in the 1870's. A Home Training School for Nurses was established in 1894, and the school became a full-fledged three-year program in 1898.
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The most famous patient in the almshouse during the 19th century was Anne Sullivan, who later became the tutor and companion of Helen Keller. Anne Sullivan spent four years at the almshouse (1876-1880) before being transferred to the Perkins School for the Blind, now located in Watertown, Massachusetts. At age 20 she left the school to go to Helen Keller's home in Alabama. One of the buildings on today's Tewksbury Hospital Campus is named for Ms. Sullivan. [[Tewksbury State Hospital|Click here for more...]]
 
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Revision as of 03:51, 19 January 2015

Featured Article Of The Week

Tewksbury State Hospital


Tewksbury11.png

The hospital was established in 1852 as one of three state almshouses needed to help care for the unprecedented influx of immigrants into Massachusetts at that time. The almshouses were the Commonwealth's first venture into caring for the poor, a duty which had previously been carried out by the cities and towns. Opened on May 1, 1854 with a capacity for 500, the almshouse population grew to 668 by the end of the first week, and to over 800 by May 20th. By December 2, 1854, 2,193 "paupers" had been admitted. Nearly 90% of these listed European countries as their birthplace. The almshouse reported having 14 employees at that time, and was spending 94.5 cents per week per resident.

In 1866 the almshouse began accepting the "pauper insane" becoming the state's first facility to specifically accept cases with the diagnosis of chronic insanity. By 1874 the facility had become diversified: 40% was used as a mental illness ward, 27% as a hospital ward, and 33% as an almshouse. The chronically ill population continued to grow, alcoholics were admitted for treatment, and programs providing therapeutic industrial and occupational therapy were added in the 1870's. A Home Training School for Nurses was established in 1894, and the school became a full-fledged three-year program in 1898.

The most famous patient in the almshouse during the 19th century was Anne Sullivan, who later became the tutor and companion of Helen Keller. Anne Sullivan spent four years at the almshouse (1876-1880) before being transferred to the Perkins School for the Blind, now located in Watertown, Massachusetts. At age 20 she left the school to go to Helen Keller's home in Alabama. One of the buildings on today's Tewksbury Hospital Campus is named for Ms. Sullivan. Click here for more...

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