Norwich State Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Norwich Hospital District
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | CT 12, Norwich-Preston, Connecticut |
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| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Cudworth & Woodworth |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002424 |
| Added to NRHP | January 22, 1988 |
The Norwich State Hospital was once a large hospital for people needing mental health care. It was first called the Norwich State Hospital for the Insane, then later just Norwich Hospital. This hospital was located in Preston and Norwich, Connecticut. It opened in October 1904 and closed its doors on October 10, 1996.
Over the years, the hospital cared for older patients, people with addiction issues, and for a short time (1931-1939), patients with tuberculosis. The hospital sat by the Thames River. It started with just one building on about 100 acres of land. At its busiest, it grew to have over thirty buildings and covered more than 900 acres. In 1988, a 70-acre part of the hospital property was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a special historic area.
Contents
History of Norwich Hospital
How the Hospital Grounds Grew Over Time
When the hospital first opened in October 1904, it had only 95 patients and one building. But it quickly became too small. By the fall of 1905, it had 151 patients, and two more buildings were added. The first building was then used for offices. In 1907, a third patient building opened. Over the next eight years, thirteen more buildings were built.
The hospital started to build more than just patient rooms. They added homes for doctors, a lab, an employees' club, a main kitchen, and other buildings. Like many hospitals back then, it was mostly self-sufficient. They even had a barn, two garages, a paint shop, and a greenhouse. By the end of the 1930s, over twenty buildings had been added.
To help people find their way, each building first had a letter name. The main patient buildings were grouped in pairs. "North" was for female patients, and "South" was for male patients. Around 1940, buildings were named after important people in mental health care. These included people like Thomas Story Kirkbride and Dorothea Dix. Later, buildings were named after people who helped the hospital, such as Connecticut governors Abraham Ribicoff and John Davis Lodge.
The Ronald H. Kettle Center opened in 1960. It was a new medical and surgical building and the largest on the property. It was built like a regular hospital. This showed a new idea that mental illness could be treated quickly. This meant less need for old, long-term care wards. The Ribicoff Research Center was built next to Kettle to help find new treatments.
Over time, the number of patients and staff went down. When a new building was built, an older one would close. By the early 1970s, only 7 of the original buildings were still used. The others were for storage or empty. A new law said that every patient's case had to be checked every two years. This, plus staff union issues, led to many more buildings being emptied in 1979. When the hospital closed in 1996, only a small part of it was still working. All patients were then in the Kettle building, with older patients in Seymour. The Gallup building still had a center for addiction help. Other buildings still used were Administration, Lodge, Russell, Ribicoff, the chapel, utility buildings, and staff housing.
Because there were so many buildings and so much land, most buildings were connected by underground tunnels. These tunnels were mainly for pipes and wires. But they were also used to move patients from one area to another. Later, after the hospital closed, people sometimes used these tunnels to explore the empty site. However, construction crews have recently filled in or removed these tunnels for a new project.
Important Dates and Patient Numbers (1904-1996)
- 1904 – The hospital opened with 95 patients.
- 1904 – Dr. Henry M. Pollock became the first Superintendent.
- 1905 – A training school for nurses was started.
- 1913 – Patient numbers grew to 998.
- 1916 – Patient numbers reached 1,227.
- 1926 – The hospital's name changed to Norwich State Hospital.
- 1929 – Patient numbers were 2,175.
- 1930 – Patient numbers reached 2,422. The nurse training school closed.
- 1939 – Patient numbers were 2,918.
- 1941 – For the first time, more patients left the hospital (917) than were admitted (626).
- 1942 – During World War II, the hospital used people who refused to fight in the war and even some patients to help with staffing shortages.
- 1955 – The hospital had its highest number of patients ever: 3,184.
- 1961 – The name was shortened to Norwich Hospital.
- 1972 – Patient numbers dropped to 1,148.
- 1988 – The hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1996 – Norwich Hospital officially closed. Remaining patients moved to another hospital.
Hospital Buildings and Facilities
The Norwich Hospital had many different buildings. Some were for patients, and others were for staff or hospital services. Here are some of the main ones:
| Name | Original Name | Year Built | Year Closed | Style | Original Use | Later Uses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration Building | 1908 | 1996 | Late Gothic Revival | Offices | |||
| Central Theater, Dance Hall, Cafeteria, and Storeroom | Main Building | 1908 | 1970s | Late Gothic Revival | Theater, cafeteria, kitchen | ||
| Lippitt Building | 1920 | 1979 | Colonial Revival | Medical/surgical | |||
| Russell Occupational Therapy Building | 1956 | 1996 | Modern | Therapy, recreation, classes | Patient canteen, security office | ||
| Ribicoff Research Center | 1962 | 1996 | Modern | Research lab | |||
| Pond View Building | 1959 | 1996 | Modern | Staff housing | |||
| Martin House | Outreach | 1930s | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Staff housing | Outreach program, housing for former patients | |
| Pathway House | Gateway | 1930s | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Staff housing | Rehabilitation program | |
| Nurses' Home | 1939 | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Nurses' dormitory | |||
| Chapel | 1963 | 1996 | Modern | Chapel | Daycare for staff children |
Patient Ward Buildings
These buildings were where patients lived and received care.
| Name | Original Name | Year Built | Year Closed | Style | Original Use | Later Uses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald H. Kettle Treatment Center | 1959 | 1997 | Modern | Admissions, medical care | Mental Health Authority offices | ||
| Lodge Building | 1956 | 1997 | Modern | Women's treatment | Continued care | ||
| Seymour Building | 1939 | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Medical infirmary | Geriatric care, admissions | ||
| Salmon and Awl Buildings | South and North A | 1905 | 1971 | Late Gothic Revival | Male/Female patient care | ||
| Brigham and Bell Buildings | South and North B | 1907 | 1970s | Late Gothic Revival | Male/Female patient housing | ||
| White and Cutter Buildings | South and North C | 1910s | White: 1956, Cutter: 1967 | Colonial Revival | Male/Female patient housing | Storage | |
| Stribling and Dix Buildings | South and North D | 1911 | Stribling: 1979, Dix: 1956 | Colonial Revival | Male/Female patient care | Storage | |
| Earle and Butler Buildings | South and North E | 1912 | Earle: 1990s, Butler: 1970s | Colonial Revival | Patient housing | Maintenance (Earle), trade school (Butler) | |
| Stedman and Woodward Buildings | South and North F | 1913 | 1980s | Colonial Revival | Male/Female patient housing | Housekeeping (Stedman), finance classes (Woodward) | |
| Gallup and Mitchell Buildings | South H and North G | 1926 | Gallup: 1996, Mitchell: 1970s | Colonial Revival | Patient housing | Addiction treatment (Gallup) | |
| Galt Building | South G | 1922 | 1980s | Colonial Revival | Older male patient housing | Firehouse | |
| Ray Building | North H | 1926 | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Older female patient housing | Print shop | |
| Kirkbride Building | South K | 1926 | 1996 | Colonial Revival | Older male patient housing | Red Cross shelter | |
| Bryan Building | 1936 | 1979 | Colonial Revival | Older patient housing | Teen clinic | ||
| The Pines | 1921 | Patient housing with tuberculosis |
- Many other buildings were built, including homes for doctors, a power plant, kitchen, laundry, trade school, firehouse, and farm buildings.
- The farm buildings were taken down in the 1970s when the hospital stopped using farming as therapy.
What Happened After the Hospital Closed
In 1996, when Norwich State Hospital closed, the state government became responsible for the property. After trying to sell it many times without success, the state offered to sell most of the land to the towns of Preston and Norwich for just one dollar. Preston bought about 390 acres in 2009. A group called the Preston Redevelopment Agency was created to plan what to do with the land.
Ideas for the Property
Since the hospital closed, many ideas have been suggested for the land. One early idea in 2006 was for a huge entertainment complex called Utopia Studios. This would have included a theme park, hotels, a performing arts school, and a movie studio. It was expected to cost around $1.6 billion. However, this plan was canceled because Utopia Studios did not meet deadlines or put money aside as agreed.
In 2008, two more companies wanted to develop the land. The town chose a plan for a luxury resort, but this plan also fell through. Many other developers have shown interest, but no agreement was reached for a long time.
The property is now known as the Preston Riverwalk. The town's parks department thought about making it a public park for bird-watching, fishing, and other outdoor activities. Then, in 2016, the Mohegan Tribe made a deal to buy the land. They plan to use it for offices, shops, entertainment, and possibly homes. This land will not become tribal land, meaning it will still create tax money for the state and local area.
Taking Down Buildings and Cleaning Up
The Norwich State Hospital is important for its history and architecture. Because of this, many buildings and parts of the property cannot be removed without special permission.
Demolition work started around 2011. Some buildings like Salmon, Awl, and the Cafeteria-Theater were taken down by the end of 2011. In 2012, the Ribicoff, Power Plant, Chapel, and several cottages were also demolished. This continued until late 2014. By 2018, the roads were removed, and major digging began near the Lodge building.
The Administration Building has been protected to stop it from falling apart. It is being saved for future plans. In late 2020, workers found buried coal ash, which needs to be cleaned up. This requires more money to finish the cleanup.
As of August 2021, almost all buildings on the Preston side of the campus have been taken down. Only the Ray, Gallup, and Mitchell buildings remain. In March 2022, the Pathway House was scheduled to be demolished next. Cleanup and demolition are still happening at the site in 2023. Workers recently found a time capsule in the Russell Occupational Therapy building. The Preston Redevelopment Agency wants to give this time capsule to the local historical society.
Norwich Hospital on TV
The Norwich State Hospital has appeared on several TV shows:
- Two episodes of VH1's Celebrity Paranormal Project were filmed there. The show called it "Warson Asylum for the Criminally Insane."
- The hospital was shown in the TV series Life After People in an episode called "Crypt of Civilization" in 2010.
- The Ghost Hunters team explored the hospital in their sixth season in 2010.
See also
