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St. Elizabeths Hospital
District of Columbia
Center building at Saint Elizabeths, National Photo Company, circa 1909-1932.jpg
The Center Building at St. Elizabeths, dating to the American Civil War and one of the oldest on the campus, as it appeared in the early 20th century
Geography
Location 1100 Alabama Avenue, Southeast, Washington, D.C., United States
Organization
Funding Public hospital
Hospital type Specialist
Services
Speciality Psychiatric

St. Elizabeths Hospital is a special hospital in Southeast, Washington, D.C. It helps people who need support for their mental health. The District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health runs it today.

The hospital first opened in 1855. It was called the Government Hospital for the Insane back then. This made it the very first psychiatric hospital in the United States run by the U.S. government.

At its busiest in the 1950s, over 8,000 patients lived there. The hospital had a full medical unit and even a school for nursing. It also offered training for new doctors in psychiatry. In 1990, the hospital's campus was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place.

Today, part of the campus is home to the United States Department of Homeland Security headquarters. Many people who work for the U.S. government are there. The Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building is also on the campus.

Cemeteries on Campus

The St. Elizabeths Hospital campus also has two cemeteries. These are called the Saint Elizabeths Hospital East and West Cemeteries. People started to be buried on the West campus in 1856. About 450 Civil War soldiers and many other people are buried there.

By 1873, the West Campus cemetery was full. So, a new cemetery opened on the East Campus. Over the next 120 years, about 2,050 military members and 3,000 civilians were buried there.

Hospital Ownership and Use

The United States Department of Health and Human Services used to control the hospital. But in 1987, the ownership of the east part of the hospital changed. It was given to the District of Columbia government.

Since 2010, the hospital mainly helps people on the east campus. This part is run by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. The rest of the east campus is planned for new buildings. The west campus is used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its related offices.

Images for kids

  • Center building at Saint Elizabeths, August 23, 2006

    The Center Building at St. Elizabeths in 2006

  • Department of Homeland Security’s new headquarters is ceremoniously opened

    Opening ceremony for the new DHS headquarters in April 2019

  • Main Building at Saint Elizabeths, Washington D.C., August 23, 2006

    The Main Building on the western campus in 2006

  • AtkinsHall 2014 DSC0596

    Atkins Hall, home to U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office in 2014

  • Skyline of Washington, seen from Saint Elizabeths, August 23, 2006

    The view of the Washington, D.C., skyline from St. Elizabeths

  • St. Elizabeths Hospital, woman - Washington, D.C.

    An elderly patient at St. Elizabeths, circa 1917

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