46-721: Peoria State Hospital Historic District , also known as Bartonville State Hospital or Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane , was a psychiatric hospital operated by the State of Illinois from 1902 to 1973. The hospital is located in Bartonville, Illinois , near the city of Peoria in Peoria County . The hospital grounds and its 63 buildings are listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places . The hospital
92-466: A chaplain, matron, and a nightwatchman. Kirkbride urged that at least two attendants be working in each ward at any given time, and stressed the importance of the superintendent's "proper selection" of attendants, given the extent of their management responsibilities: "The duties of attendants, when faithfully performed, are often harassing, and in many wards, among excited patients, are peculiarly so. On this account pains should always be taken to give them
138-458: A curative effect, "a special apparatus for the care of lunacy, [whose grounds should be] highly improved and tastefully ornamented." The idea of institutionalization was thus central to Kirkbride's plan for effectively treating the insane. The Kirkbride Plan asylums tended to be large, imposing institutional buildings, with the defining feature being their "narrow, stepped, linear building footprint" featuring staggered wings extending outward from
184-563: A hundred of the patients and nurses that attended his funeral crying at the old elm in the potters field. A closer inspection of the casket for which he rested showed the peaceful remains of the loved figure still resting within, thus the legend of the "Graveyard Elm" began. In the 1920s, Zeller penned a book titled, Befriending The Bereft , drawn from the mysterious experiences he had at the hospital during his two tenures as superintendent, 1902–1913 and 1921–1935. Included, among numerous other eerie stories, were Zeller's own account of Old Book and
230-409: A psychiatrist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , developed his requirements of asylum design based on a philosophy of Moral Treatment and environmental determinism . The typical floor plan, with long rambling wings arranged en echelon (staggered, so each connected wing received sunlight and fresh air), was meant to promote privacy and comfort for patients. The building form itself was meant to have
276-407: A reasonable amount of relaxation and their position should, in every respect, be made as comfortable as possible." For general labor at the hospital, he suggested that the able-minded patients help maintain the hospital grounds and assist in duties in their respective wards. Kirkbride's estimation of the number of staff as well as their respective compensations was outlined in an 1854 publication on
322-512: A separate ward, which would contain its own "comfortably furnished" parlor, bathroom, clothes room, and infirmary, as well as a speaking tube and dumbwaiter to allow open communication and movement of materials between floors. The wings furthest from the center complex of the building were reserved for the "most excitable," or most physically dangerous and volatile patients. Patient rooms were suggested to be spacious, with ceilings "at least 12 feet (3.7 m) high," but only large enough to room
368-481: A single person. The center complexes of the Kirkbride Plan buildings were designed to house administration, kitchens, public and reception areas, and apartments for the superintendent's family. Architectural styles of Kirkbride Plan buildings varied depending on the appointed architect, and ranged from Richardsonian Romanesque to Neo-Gothic . In addition to the intricate building design, Kirkbride also advocated
414-453: Is located at 40°38′43″N 89°39′37″W / 40.64528°N 89.66028°W / 40.64528; -89.66028 (40.645387, -89.660364). According to the 2010 census, Bartonville has a total area of 8.615 square miles (22.31 km ), of which 8.19 square miles (21.21 km ) (or 95.07%) is land and 0.425 square miles (1.10 km ) (or 4.93%) is water. Bartonville is situated on U.S. Route 24 , Interstate I-474 , part of
460-582: The Illinois General Hospital for the Insane and, in 1909, Peoria State Hospital . This same year, the offices of Board of Commissioners and Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities were abolished and all state-run charitable institutions were administered by the Board of Administration. On the hospital's 25th anniversary in 1927, the population was 2,650 with a total of 13,510 patients having entered
506-751: The Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyagers National Scenic Byway . As of the census of 2000, there were 6,310 people, 2,601 households, and 1,810 families residing in the village. The population density was 786.2 inhabitants per square mile (303.6/km ). There were 2,699 housing units at an average density of 336.3 per square mile (129.8/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 98.08% White , 0.40% African American , 0.06% Native American , 0.38% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.33% from other races , and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of
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#1732855217348552-639: The Northeast and Midwestern states. Fewer Kirkbride Plan hospitals were constructed on the West Coast : In California , the Napa State Hospital was a notable Kirkbride Plan hospital, though the original structure was severely damaged during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , and was ultimately demolished. The two surviving Kirkbride structures on the West Coast are both located in the state of Oregon , at
598-1043: The Oregon State Hospital , and the Eastern Oregon State Hospital , the latter of which now houses the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution . While the vast majority of Kirkbride hospitals were located in the United States, similar facilities were built in Canada, and the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane in Sydney, Australia (constructed in 1885) was also influenced by Kirkbride's design. Due to their intricate architectural features and historical significance, Kirkbride Plan hospitals have attracted conservation efforts from local and national groups, and (as of 2016) approximately 30 of
644-447: The "curability" of mental illness were also questioned by the medical community. A total of 73 known Kirkbride Plan hospitals were constructed throughout the United States between 1845 and 1910. As of 2016, approximately 33 of these identified Kirkbride Plan hospital buildings still exist in their original form to some degree: 24 have been preserved indicating that the building is still standing and still in use, at least, in part. 11 of
690-438: The 21st century, though not all have retained the original Kirkbride buildings on their campuses. The Oregon State Hospital, the longest continuously operated psychiatric hospital on the West Coast, retained the majority of its original Kirkbride building during a 2008 demolition, seismically retrofitting and repurposing it as a mental health museum in 2013. Numerous Kirkbride Plan hospitals and buildings have been featured in
736-437: The 24 preserved properties received secondary condition codes of deteriorating, vacant, partial demolition or a combination, while the remaining nine have been adaptively reused. Of the 40 hospital buildings that no longer exist (either via demolition or destruction from natural occurrences, such as earthquakes), 26 were demolished to be replaced with new facilities. The highest concentrations of Kirkbride Plan hospitals were in
782-586: The Graveyard Elm. The paranormal claims of Peoria State Hospital were investigated by The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) in the TV show Ghost Hunters . Bartonville, Illinois Bartonville is a village in Peoria County , Illinois , United States . The population was 6,471 at the 2010 census. Bartonville is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area . Bartonville
828-414: The Kirkbride Plan design. He proposed a living wage for all employees of the hospital, noting that "although in a few institutions a liberal compensation is given, in many, the salaries are quite too low, and entirely inadequate to be depended on, to secure and retain the best kind of talent for the different positions. The services required about the insane, when faithfully performed, are peculiarly trying to
874-573: The Kirkbride Plan hospitals also employed laborers of various trades, including resident engineers, carpenters, cooks and dairymaids , gardeners, seamstresses, ironworkers, clothing launderers , and a carriage driver . By the late nineteenth century, the Kirkbride design had begun to wane in popularity, largely because the hospitals, which were state-funded, had received significant budget cuts that rendered them difficult to maintain. General psychiatric and medical opinion of Kirkbride's theories regarding
920-503: The U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressman. The commission selected the site near Peoria , in Bartonville. Construction at the site started in 1895 with the main building completed in 1897. This building was never used, however, as its structural integrity was compromised by abandoned mine shafts on the property. The 1927 history of the hospital, however, gives a different explanation for its abandonment: "The first building erected
966-555: The U.S. is partly due to reformer Dorothea Dix , who testified to the New Jersey legislature in 1844, vividly describing the state's treatment of lunatics ; they were being housed in county jails, private homes, and the basements of public buildings. Dix's effort led to the construction of the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum , the first complete asylum built on the Kirkbride Plan. Thomas Story Kirkbride (1809–1883),
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#17328552173481012-517: The arts: the Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts was both the setting and primary filming location for the 2001 psychological horror film Session 9 . It has also been suggested by historians as an inspiration on H. P. Lovecraft , and in turn an inspiration for the fictional setting Arkham Asylum in the various Batman series. The Oregon State Hospital was also featured as
1058-409: The average family size was 2.90. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. The median income for a household in the village
1104-924: The buildings being most commonly preserved. The center complexes of the Hudson River State Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York , and the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon , for example, have been retained in spite of the majority of the outermost wings being demolished. One such Kirkbride Plan facility that has survived in its entirety is the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum , though does not contemporarily function as an active hospital. As of 2023, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum has not undergone demolition. Several facilities originally established as Kirkbride Plan hospitals are still active in
1150-523: The buildings have been registered with National Register of Historic Places . Local conservation groups and historical societies have made attempts to save numerous Kirkbrides from demolition: The Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts is one example, in which a local historical society filed a lawsuit in 2005 to stall demolition of the building. The majority of the Danvers State Hospital
1196-407: The buildings were patient and caretaker housing, a store, a power station , and a communal utility building. The Illinois Hospital for the Incurable Insane began operations on February 10, 1902 and patients characterized as "incurable" were transferred to Bartonville from other Illinois facilities. In 1906 the hospital opened a training school for nurses. From 1907 to 1909 the facility was known as
1242-420: The center, resembling the wingspan of a bat. The standard number of wings for a Kirkbride Plan hospital was eight, with an accommodation of 250 patients. Kirkbride's philosophy behind the staggered wings was to allow individual corridors open to sunlight and air ventilation through both ends, which he believed aided in healing the mentally ill. Each wing, according to Kirkbride's original guidelines, would house
1288-541: The center. The first hospital designed under the Kirkbride Plan was the Trenton State Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey by John Notman , constructed in 1848. Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century, numerous psychiatric hospitals were designed under the Kirkbride Plan across the United States. By the twentieth century, popularity of the design had waned, largely due to the economic pressures of maintaining
1334-729: The east are in Peoria School District 150 . The local high school for the Limestone district part is Limestone Community High School . Located directly to the north of the village are the General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport and the 182d Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force. The Peoria State Hospital was located in Bartonville until it closed in 1973. The E.D. Edwards Power Plant , opened in 1960 and retired at
1380-423: The end of 2022 following a federal lawsuit filed in 2013 by local and national environmental groups. Kirkbride Plan The Kirkbride Plan was a system of mental asylum design advocated by American psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride (1809–1883) in the mid-19th century. The asylums built in the Kirkbride design, often referred to as Kirkbride Buildings (or simply Kirkbrides ), were constructed during
1426-500: The facility. During this time, Dr. Zeller was widely respected for his focus on therapeutic efforts. Zeller crusaded for a better public understanding of the mentally ill including inviting newspaper reporters and community members to visit Peoria State. From 1943 until 1969 the hospital participated in a departmental affiliation program for psychiatric nursing which provided instruction in psychiatric nursing to students from regional general hospital nursing schools. From 1917 until 1961
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1472-402: The hope of creating office space in the structures. His plan was never fully realized and the buildings remained empty. Since that time, many of the remaining structures have been demolished and others were renovated to house various commercial and industrial businesses. The Village of Bartonville has established the entire property as a TIF district to encourage further growth and development of
1518-609: The hospital was operated by the Illinois Department of Public Welfare. In 1961 the Department of Mental Health was created and assumed responsibility of the institution. At its peak in the 1950s, Bartonville housed 2,800 patients. By 1972 when its closure was announced, the patient census had dropped to 600. After the hospital closed, the buildings stood empty and were auctioned off. When the initial auction buyer went bankrupt, developer, Winsley Durand, Jr., took over ownership with
1564-501: The immense facilities, as well as contestation of Kirkbride's theories amongst the medical community. Numerous Kirkbride structures still exist, though many have been demolished or partially-demolished and repurposed. At least 30 of the original Kirkbride buildings have been registered with the National Register of Historic Places in the United States, either directly or through their location on hospital campuses or in historic districts. The establishment of state mental hospitals in
1610-412: The importance of "fertile" and spacious landscapes on which the hospitals would be built, with views that "if possible, should exhibit life in its active forms." Kirkbride also suggested the hospital grounds be a minimum of 100 acres (40 ha) in size. The foliage and farmlands on the hospital grounds were sometimes maintained by patients as part of physical exercise and/or therapy. Over the course of
1656-411: The mental and physical powers of any individual, and ought to be liberally paid for." Salary for the superintending physician according to the 1854 guideline was to be USD $ 1,500 (equivalent to $ 50,867 in 2023) if the physician's family resided at the hospital, and $ 2,500 (equivalent to $ 84,778 in 2023) if they found lodging at a private residence. In addition to the medical staff and attendants,
1702-476: The mid-to-late-19th century in the United States. The structural features of the hospitals as designated by Kirkbride were contingent on his theories regarding the healing of the mentally ill, in which environment and exposure to natural light and air circulation were crucial. The hospitals built according to the Kirkbride Plan would adopt various architectural styles, but had in common the "bat wing" style floor plan, housing numerous wings that sprawl outward from
1748-465: The nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the campuses of these hospitals often evolved into sprawling, expansive grounds with numerous buildings. In his proposal, Kirkbride outlined specific guidelines as to how a Kirkbride Plan hospital should be staffed and operate on a daily basis. Kirkbride suggested a total of 71, all of whom were required to live within, or in the immediate vicinity of, the hospital. The superintending physician, or physician-in-chief,
1794-408: The population. There were 2,601 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and
1840-559: The property. The Bowen building, the nurses' dorm and college and administration building, was demolished in 2016 by the save the Bowen NFP to repay loans. Unfortunately, the loans remain unpaid to the Village of Bartonville. The grounds consisted of 63 buildings, many of which are residential in nature and laid out to the traditional cottage plan, common for mental hospitals built in the early 20th century. The original main building constructed
1886-820: Was $ 40,766, and the median income for a family was $ 49,909. Males had a median income of $ 36,324 versus $ 24,214 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 20,580. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over. Elementary school districts covering parts of the town are Bartonville School District 66 , Oak Grove School District 68 , Hollis Consolidated School District 328 , Limestone Walters Community Consolidated School District 316 , Monroe School District 70 , and Pleasant Hill School District 69 . These elementary school districts are in Limestone Community High School District 310 . A few areas to
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1932-496: Was a facsimile of a feudal castle, but before it was occupied it was found to be wholly out of harmony with modern ideas for the care of the insane and it was razed and replaced by the present cottage plan, under the direction of Dr. Frederick Howard Wines, the able secretary of the State Board of Charities." In 1902, reconstruction was completed under the direction of Dr. George Zeller as a cottage system plan of 33 buildings . Among
1978-464: Was demolished in 2007 in spite of the lawsuit, with only the center portion of the building receiving restoration and conversion into apartments. The Northampton State Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts , was demolished in 2006. Many of the surviving Kirkbride Plan buildings in the United States have undergone at least partial demolition and have been repurposed, often with the center portions of
2024-532: Was founded as a result of the Illinois General Assembly 's provision for the establishment of the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane in 1895. In response to the legislation, then Governor John Altgeld appointed a three-person commission charged with site selection. The commission president was John Finely, a Peorian, and one of the members was J.J. McAndrews of Chicago who later served in
2070-477: Was on the Kirkbride Plan . There are only 12 of the 63 buildings left standing as of July 1, 2019. All are currently occupied. The hospital grounds are the subject of local ghost lore. One well documented legend tells of Manuel A. Bookbinder " Old Book ", a patient who worked with the burial crew at the hospital until his own death. It is said that upon his death his physical form was seen by Dr. Zeller and over
2116-439: Was required to live in the main hospital or in a building contiguous to it, while his family had the option of residing at the hospital or seeking private lodging. The staff was also to have a balanced gender distribution, with approximately 36 female and 35 male staff members. Among the staff of a Kirkbride Plan hospital were the superintending physician, an assisting physician and nurses, supervisors and teachers of each sex,
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