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Saturday, July 05, 2025
2025.0705.0002...
Hudson River State Hospital, New York
I find the expansive sprawlingness of institutions to be very interesting. (Both of these floor plan images will embiggen.)
Oh! The infamous Kirkbride Plan! These were always my favorite for hospitals and - at least on paper - made sense. Ordered, identical architecture of the central administration building flanked by identical wings (the architecture was considered critical to a patient's treatment plan), emphasis of community wards, lots of fresh air and light in interior spaces, large park-like grounds for exercise and activities...
But as usual, administrative red tape, greed, mismanagement and overcrowding got in the way (the Kirkbride Plan was considered only feasible for 250 patients or less). There aren't many of these old behemoths left but I have always found them fascinating!
My hometown Buffalo, New York has an 187` H H Richardson hospital bldg that features the Kirkbride plan. Happily after decades of disuse it's being restored. Good article on the building at https://www.buffalospree.com/app/buffalospreemagazine/archives/2000_0304/030400architecture.html
In DC we have St Elizabeth’s est 1855 and still operating. Part of it is now the HQ’s of Homeland Security. Walter Freeman, the quack that dreamt up assembly line lobotomies with no anesthesia, “mal-practiced” here ! Another hospital in New Jersey played host to Dr Henry Cotton, another quack that believed mental illness was caused by infections and so removed everything from teeth to colons and stomachs ! Hard to believe, but both witch doctors were held in very high regard by the medical profession and medical schools. Rex in DC
Espectacular.Amigo venezolano, Cúcuta
ReplyDeleteOh! The infamous Kirkbride Plan! These were always my favorite for hospitals and - at least on paper - made sense. Ordered, identical architecture of the central administration building flanked by identical wings (the architecture was considered critical to a patient's treatment plan), emphasis of community wards, lots of fresh air and light in interior spaces, large park-like grounds for exercise and activities...
ReplyDeleteBut as usual, administrative red tape, greed, mismanagement and overcrowding got in the way (the Kirkbride Plan was considered only feasible for 250 patients or less). There aren't many of these old behemoths left but I have always found them fascinating!
My hometown Buffalo, New York has an 187` H H Richardson hospital bldg that features the Kirkbride plan. Happily after decades of disuse it's being restored. Good article on the building at https://www.buffalospree.com/app/buffalospreemagazine/archives/2000_0304/030400architecture.html
ReplyDeletemark1147 - Thank you for the link!
Delete1871 - typo above
ReplyDeleteIn DC we have St Elizabeth’s est 1855 and still operating. Part of it is now the HQ’s of Homeland Security.
ReplyDeleteWalter Freeman, the quack that dreamt up assembly line lobotomies with no anesthesia, “mal-practiced” here !
Another hospital in New Jersey played host to Dr Henry Cotton, another quack that believed mental illness was caused by infections and so removed everything from teeth to colons and stomachs !
Hard to believe, but both witch doctors were held in very high regard by the medical profession and medical schools.
Rex in DC
Rex - Incredible stories.
Delete