Harrisburg State Hospital facts for kids
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Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital
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Harrisburg State Hospital Administration Building, May 2007
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cameron St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 183 acres (74 ha) |
| Built | 1851, 1935 |
| Architect | John A. Dempwolf, John Haviland / Addison Hutton |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000057 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 8, 1986 |
Harrisburg State Hospital was once known as the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. It was built in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. This hospital was Pennsylvania's very first public place to help people with mental health challenges. It opened in 1851 and closed in 2006.
History of the Hospital
The Harrisburg State Hospital was first planned in 1845. It was meant to care for people across Pennsylvania who needed mental health support.
A social reformer named Dorothea Dix worked hard to make this hospital happen. She believed that people with mental illnesses deserved proper care. A group of nine people helped choose the land and build the hospital.
In 1848, the hospital's name was changed to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Money was set aside to start building. The main building was finished in 1851. It was the only building at first, holding offices, staff, and patients.
The building was designed using the Kirkbride Plan. This was a popular way to build hospitals in the 1800s. It allowed for lots of fresh air and sunlight. The hospital could hold 250 patients at first. Later, more buildings were added to make space for more people.
Patients from all over Pennsylvania could come to the hospital. Their home counties would pay for their care. If families could afford it, they paid about $2.50 per week. This cost covered their stay and medical help.
The hospital had a large farm next to it, about 130-acre (53 ha). Patients could work on the farm as a type of therapy. The farm also helped the hospital grow its own food and raise animals. This made the hospital more self-sufficient.
In 1869, a group called the Board of Public Charities was formed. They checked on all public hospitals in Pennsylvania. Their goal was to improve the care given to patients. They especially wanted to move people with mental illnesses from poorhouses to state hospitals.
The early 1900s brought big changes to Harrisburg State Hospital. The main building was getting old. So, between 1893 and 1912, the hospital was rebuilt. This time, it followed the "Cottage Plan". This plan became popular in the early 1900s.
At its busiest, the hospital covered over 1,000 acres (400 ha). It had more than 70 buildings. Architects Addison Hutton and John A. Dempwolf designed the new campus. The buildings on the male and female sides of the campus looked like mirrors of each other.
In 1921, the hospital's name officially became Harrisburg State Hospital. At this time, it could hold over 2,000 patients. Sometimes, it even had as many as 2,441 patients. The hospital was like a small town, with its own farm, power plant, and shops. People called it the "City on the Hill."
During wartime, the hospital faced staff shortages. Sometimes, there was only one nurse for every 166 patients. This made it hard to provide all the services needed.
Over time, the number of patients at Harrisburg State Hospital began to drop. This happened because new medicines were created. Also, more people started to get care closer to home. The hospital finally closed its doors on January 27, 2006.
Today, the old hospital sits on a 295-acre (119 ha) campus. It has many grand buildings in a peaceful setting. Most of the campus is in Susquehanna Township. More than fifty buildings are still there. Many state government offices now use the former hospital buildings. The campus is currently for sale to developers.
The hospital was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it is an important historical site.
The Hospital in Film
The Harrisburg State Hospital has been used as a filming location for several TV shows and movies.
- The TV show Ghost Lab filmed an episode here in 2010. It was part of their second season on the Discovery Channel.
- The TV show Ghost Nation filmed two episodes at the hospital. These aired in February 2021 on the Discovery+ streaming service.
- The movie Another Harvest Moon was filmed at the hospital. It came out on August 7, 2009.
- The famous movie Girl, Interrupted also filmed scenes at the hospital. Other parts of the movie were filmed around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The hospital scenes were made to look like McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. (Fun fact: The "Administration" signs you might see in the movie were made just for the film. The hospital staff liked them so much they kept them up!)
Gallery
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Front of the Admin building in 2013
