Milwaukee County Insane Asylum... was it a Kirkbride?

From Asylum Projects

Viewed 7961 times, With a total of 26 Posts

Jump to: navigation, search

Forum >> General Area >> General Information

Jump to page 1Prev 16

Thomasp94 Forum:Admin, Forum:Mod, bureaucrat, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 2658
Threads 84
Posts 745

2:28:17 PM - Mon, Jun 13th 2011	Quote
I agree with WSH. Without knowledge of the care and treatment methods it's not really possible to say if it is a 100% kirkbride. But the building its self does look like one. I would love to see more 'real' photos of this place if they exist, it's a nice looking building for a county asylum.

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

4:11:56 PM - Mon, Jun 13th 2011	Quote
This particular picture is available on the standard wikipedia page for the asylum and it is noted that the design and building of the facility was actually awarded to someone other than the person who designed this picture, which is why i think the final design was different. The Wikipedia article states a Koch was picked over the designer of the picture E. Townsend Mix. Mr Mix is famous for building a lot of stuff in the Wisconsin area, mostly Milwaukee and surrounding towns, but the Koch suggested appears to be Henry C. Koch who was a contemporary of Mix and also a famous architect in the area. Koch did some larger works in Milwaukee and in different parts of Iowa, but is said to be most famous for his work on the Milwaukee city hall. I'll keep looking for a picture. (The Marr and Richards listed at the bottom is probably from the engraving company that made the engraving of this picture; However their is also a Richard Marr that was an architect that worked on buildings in Michigan, including the historic Architects building at 415 Brainard St., in Detroit. Based on the date of this picture it has been suggested it is not his work, as he built the architecture building in Detroit in 1924, well after this etching was thought to have been made.)
Edited On 4:45:43 PM - Mon, Jun 13th 2011 by Evilavatar

WSH Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 1
Threads 43
Posts 404

6:10:42 PM - Mon, Jun 13th 2011	Quote
I'm seeing that it was built between 1878-1880. So it's the right time frame. I don't have the time to dig into this like I used to, but from a basic Google search it looks like all our answers should be fairly easy to figure out with a little leg work.

Squad546 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 5291
Threads 49
Posts 669

10:21:23 PM - Mon, Jun 13th 2011	Quote
I think we tried to figure it out on the old forum and never really came to a conclusion. That's why the page for it on the database has a ? after Kirkbride plan. Someone at the county archives was going to look for old photos for me but I never heard back.

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

2:27:45 AM - Tue, Jun 14th 2011	Quote
[1] These are the only pictures I have been able to find so far. The pictures on from the hospitals centennial and have information about the hospital and the asylum along with where it historically stood. The former facility was on the grounds of Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. If you read this, the .pdf is only the first few pages of the overall paper written for the centennial. (It's actually a small book of about 60 pages, but the pictures of the campus show the facilities throughout the years. The actual hospital is where the asylum held some of the folks until the asylum itself was split into the chronically mentally ill and those people needing acute care.) [2] Here's a link to another picture of the same building complex, this is supposed to be the hospital for the chronically insane, named the South Division and was built around 1888.
Edited On 1:20:41 PM - Thu, Jun 16th 2011 by Evilavatar

Squad546 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 5291
Threads 49
Posts 669

4:23:31 AM - Wed, Jun 15th 2011

Quote

Quote:Evilavatar Mon 13th 9:27 pm

[1] These are the only pictures I have been able to find so far. The pictures on from the hospitals centennial and have information about the hospital and the asylum along with where it historically stood. The former facility was on the grounds of Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee.

If you read this, the .pdf is only the first few pages of the overall paper written for the centennial. (It's actually a small book of about 60 pages, but the pictures of the campus show the facilities throughout the years. The actual hospital is where the asylum held some of the folks until the asylum itself was split into the chronically mentally ill and those people needing acute care.)

[2] Here's a link to another picture of the same building complex, this is supposed to be the hospital for the chronically insane, named the South Division and was built around 1888.

Thanks for the links, guess for now we'll keep it as a "Kirkbride ?". I'll have to ask around, I had a great aunt that worked there from time to time in the 1960s. She was a nun so I doubt they took many photos, too busy carrying those giant wood rulers. If you find anything else Evilavatar, feel free to add it to the page in the database.

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

1:13:59 PM - Wed, Jun 15th 2011	Quote
I have a call in to a friend at the Wisconsin Historical Society as I live in this state, so soon as I have something concrete I will post back and edit the wiki. I have not been able to find a top view picture of the hospital from prior to the demolition. Pictures of the campus now can be found on the Froedtert (pronounced fray-tert) Hospital site. I was up there about 2 months ago with my baby daughter and there are really no historic buildings left on the property that I saw. When searching their seems to be some confusion as people have posted pictures of the Milwaukee County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy labeled as the insane asylum. Some of these are obviously wrong as one poster had pictures from 2008 posted, but the building was documented to have been torn down in 1980.
Edited On 1:44:27 PM - Wed, Jun 15th 2011 by Evilavatar

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

1:24:41 PM - Wed, Jun 15th 2011	Quote
[1] This is a link to a post card with a front view of the Milwaukee County Home for Dependent Children c1910. I am not sure but I think one of these buildings is the original Asylum. The Asylum split off into its own building, than additions were made and the building split again to separate the acute insane, from the folks that were "incurably insane". All of the buildings on the grounds changed hands and there is a a ton of stuff that is and was here. The area was also annexed by the city of Milwaukee and has a Milwaukee address, but the Plank Road School is on the campus and run by Wauwatosa county teachers paid by the city of Milwaukee (at least I think that is how it works, but I may have read it wrong). In either case the whole history is pretty muddled. I've been trying to search all the histories to put everything together and make a time line of sorts, but it is slow going. My final thought here is that it looks like this was probably more likely a cottage/rambling planned campus with lots of extra buildings and additions built as need arose. Boy it's a good thing this has an edit button or I'd have a gazillion posts as I find more stuff. [2] Link to a picture the old home for dependent children's administration building. I guess the Parks department took it over at some point.
Edited On 2:51:59 PM - Wed, Jun 15th 2011 by Evilavatar

Duffy Member
Profile
Send PM

Clicked A Few Times

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 9
Posts 83

12:00:17 AM - Thu, Jun 16th 2011	Quote
Thanks Evil

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

8:02:56 PM - Fri, Jun 17th 2011	Quote
I edited the Milwaukee County Asylum page to reflect both the history of the facility and what I could find on this picture. If anyone finds something I corrected is wrong please change it. I think both deserve to be posted, though I do believe that the picture attached is a design that was not used in the end. If I can get permission I will add a copy of some of the other pictures I found, they are part of the Wisconsin historical societies collection though so I am waiting to see if it is ok. Otherwise I may end up purchasing a copy of the pictures from them (I may do it anyway though too) and hosted them somewhere myself. I'll have to double check what the rules on it are.
Edited On 8:09:19 PM - Fri, Jun 17th 2011 by Evilavatar

Squad546 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 5291
Threads 49
Posts 669

3:35:35 AM - Sat, Jun 18th 2011	Quote
Looks fine to me, better then what I had before. There shouldn't be a problem with using any of their photos here as long as the proper credit is given. Using photos on this site with permission is not a copyright infringement, this is a non-commercial/educational/historical site.

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

11:34:37 PM - Sun, Jun 19th 2011	Quote
I figured as much but as it's not my behind if they try to make legal waves I figured I'd be extra careful

M-Explorer Forum:Admin, Forum:Mod, bureaucrat, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 7732
Threads 133
Posts 870

12:28:48 PM - Mon, Jun 20th 2011	Quote
Quote:Evilavatar Sun 19th 11:34 pm I figured as much but as it's not my behind if they try to make legal waves I figured I'd be extra careful I've got no issue with it. It all looks good to me! Edit: if I don't speak up and say something about legalities and such, then assume I'm fine with it.
Edited On 12:32:26 PM - Mon, Jun 20th 2011 by M-Explorer

Evilavatar Member
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 19
Posts 303

7:20:43 PM - Fri, Jun 24th 2011	Quote
Quote:M-Explorer Mon 20th 12:28 pm I've got no issue with it. It all looks good to me! Edit: if I don't speak up and say something about legalities and such, then assume I'm fine with it. As I enjoy the site and it tends to fulfill my need to look through musty books, old archives, and other odd stuff I tend to like the idea of being careful, I will keep that in mind though

Soldat251 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 2198
Threads 16
Posts 363

9:52:19 PM - Tue, Jul 12th 2011	Quote
http://books.google.com/books?id=aPssAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA561&dq=The+institutional+care+o... On page 851 it seems to describe the building pictured.

Vetiveronica Member
Profile
Send PM

Just Got Here

Wiki Edit 0
Threads 0
Posts 3

3:42:09 PM - Sun, Dec 11th 2011	Quote
Milwaukee County Hospital For The Chronic Insane. 1878 - 1976. Northwest view of complex. (The 'north unit' is not pictured; circa 1900 - 1995.) On once-beautiful parklike setting featuring a spring-fed pond with a small island connected to the mainland by a Japanese bridge under which rowboats could pass. An oak savannah, cinder paths through a wooded ravine with stone staircases. Possibly planned by Frederick Law Olmsted who also designed several parks along Milwaukee's lakefront and Central Park in Manhattan. _
Edited On 4:16:21 PM - Sun, Dec 11th 2011 by Vetiveronica

Soldat251 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Regular

Wiki Edit 2198
Threads 16
Posts 363

9:21:01 PM - Sun, Dec 11th 2011	Quote
That about settles it for me.

Duffy Member
Profile
Send PM

Clicked A Few Times

Wiki Edit 133
Threads 9
Posts 83

10:20:27 PM - Sun, Dec 11th 2011	Quote
Score!!!

99.26.136.149
Send PM

Wiki Edit 0

9:36:19 AM - Sat, Apr 14th 2012	Quote
its called innovation park.

Vetiveronica Member
Profile
Send PM

Just Got Here

Wiki Edit 0
Threads 0
Posts 3

11:45:12 PM - Mon, Apr 30th 2012

Quote

That is incorrect. Innovation Park is near Hwy 100, south of Watertown Plank Road.

Site of hospitals is north of the Ronald McDonald House, east of County Poor Farm and railroad spur line to power plant, west of Pauper's Cemetery. Near 92nd Street, north of Watertown Plank Rd.

The stone paths through the woods, the "island" and oak savannah are still present. Some building outlines are still visible by Google maps satellite view. The road to the front of the asylum ends in a cul de sac. The cinder road for carriages to back of the North Unit is obscured by tree canopy.

Vetiveronica Member
Profile
Send PM

Just Got Here

Wiki Edit 0
Threads 0
Posts 3

4:38:07 AM - Wed, Jul 11th 2012	Quote

Squad546 Forum:Mod, checkuser, sysop
Profile
Send PM

Forum Veteran

Wiki Edit 5291
Threads 49
Posts 669

5:20:45 AM - Wed, Jul 11th 2012	Quote
I think that's the only PC I've seen from there.

72.128.92.185
Send PM

Wiki Edit 0

4:51:07 AM - Sun, Dec 9th 2012	Quote
Help!
Hi All, I am researching info on the deserted buildings off of Watertown Plank Road. I have found conflicting information and am hoping that you have some answers. Was it the Agriculture School, or part of the sanitarium?

108.231.126.214
Send PM

Wiki Edit 0

11:56:23 PM - Wed, Jan 2nd 2013	Quote
Agriculture School
The buildings on the north land that were recently sold are absolutely the old Agriculture School buildings. All of the asylum and sanitarium buildings, which were east of the Agriculture School and north of Watertown Plank Road, as well as the Plank Road School complex and the sprawling recreational gardens that were designed by the designer of the Mitchell Park gardens (remember the sunken garden south of the Domes that existed until 1994?) have been demolished or left to ruin. The sanitarium buildings were all torn down in the mid-to-late '90s, often with little or no notice to the public. The more recent asylum (early 1900's through 1979), the "Northwest Building," which was on 92nd about midway between Watertown Plank and Wisconsin Avenue, was torn down in '94 or '96, if I recall correctly. The only buildings left are the old orphanage, which has been renovated and is now the Milwaukee County Parks Building, and the Muridale Sanitarium, which was essentially the "tuberculosis hospital" (located near the corner of Watertown Plank and Highway 100 (southeast corner). I would not be surprised if many of the old Agriculture School buildings will be demolished rather suddenly and without notice as well, as seems to be the case with the buildings in the area. I always felt it was done to avoid the public outcry as the buildings generally had rather meaningful historical significance.