Photo: National Photo Company Collection · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Asylum · Washington, D.C., United States
St. Elizabeths HospitalSuspected
- Dated
- Opened 1855
- Declared purpose
- Government Hospital for the Insane
- Today
- Survives in part; West Campus now federal offices
- Build time
- About 3 years (1852–55)
- Region
- United States
- Architect of record
- Thomas U. Walter, architect: about 48 when credited (1852, born 1804). Build time on record: about 3 years (1852–55).All architects of record →
- On the list as
- Suspected
Why it's on the list
Burials on the campus began in 1856; the first burying ground was full by 1873.
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
The first federally run psychiatric hospital, opened in 1855. It held over 8,000 patients at its peak.
Why researchers flag it
Burials on the campus began in 1856; the first burying ground was full by 1873.
Over 8,000 patients
At its height it was a small city.
Burials on site
Burials began on the West Campus in 1856, and the first burying ground was full by 1873.
Architect of record
Thomas U. Walter (born 1804) was about 48 when credited with the design in 1852. The Architects of Record page asks how often a young or little-known name delivers a landmark.
Questions worth asking
- Who filled it so quickly?
Possible original uses
- Hospital or sanatorium
- Government campus
What the photos show
Government Hospital for Insane, (Washington, D.C.) LCCN2016825276between 1910 and 1925dat · Public domain
Government Hospital for Insane, (Washington, D.C.) LCCN2016825278between 1910 and 1925dat · Public domain
Perspective view of southwest corner - St. Elizabeths Hospital, Hitchcock Hall, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Southeast, 588-604 Redwood Street, Southeast, Washington, District HABS DC-349-S-152005 · Public domain
_LCCN2016825276.jpg)
_LCCN2016825278.jpg)
Sources
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
