Vermont State Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vermont State Hospital |
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|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, Vermont, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°19′55″N 72°45′02″W / 44.331816°N 72.750548°W |
| Organization | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Beds | 54 |
| Speciality | Psychiatric |
| History | |
| Founded | 1891 |
The Vermont State Hospital was a special hospital built in 1890 in Waterbury, Vermont. It was also known as the Vermont State Asylum for the Insane or the Waterbury Asylum. Its main goal was to help people with mental health challenges. It also helped ease crowding at another hospital in Brattleboro, Vermont.
At first, the hospital was meant for people who needed special care because of their behavior. Over time, it welcomed patients with many different needs. This included people with mental health conditions and other health issues. The hospital's campus is now home to other state offices. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 because of its importance. Today, a newer hospital, the 25-bed Vermont psychiatric care hospital in Berlin, VT, helps people in a similar way.
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History of the Vermont State Hospital
The Vermont State Hospital grew a lot during the time Dr. Eugene A. Stanley was in charge (from 1918 to 1936). The number of patients reached its highest point in the mid-1930s, with 1,728 people staying there. During this period, a new three-story building was built just for women patients.
Changes Over Time
The hospital property faced flooding in 1927. Later, in 2011, a big storm called Tropical Storm Irene caused even more flooding. The water rose much higher than expected.
Around 1963, the number of patients at the hospital started to go down. Because of this, some of the empty spaces in the hospital buildings were changed into offices for the state government.
How the Hospital Operated
Since 2012, the Vermont State Hospital has worked closely with the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center Department of Psychiatry. It also partners with several other colleges. The hospital has a special training program called the Vera A. Hanks School of Psychiatric Technology. This program helps train people to work with patients who have mental health needs.
Hospital Facilities
In 2012, the land where the hospital was located covered about 117 acres.
