Worcester State Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Worcester State Hospital |
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|---|---|
| Massachusetts Department of Mental Health | |
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Administration building
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| Geography | |
| Location | Worcester, Massachusetts, United States |
| Organization | |
| Hospital type | Mental hospital |
| Services | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Closed | 2012 |
Worcester State Hospital was a special hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. It helped people with mental health challenges. It was designed by the architectural company Weston & Rand. The hospital and its old buildings are listed as important historic places.
This hospital was also known by other names, like the Worcester Insane Asylum. It first opened its doors on January 12, 1833. It was the very first hospital of its kind in Massachusetts. In its first year, 164 patients came to the hospital for help.
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A New and Bigger Hospital
The first hospital quickly became too crowded. So, the person in charge, Merrick Bemis, decided they needed a new, much bigger hospital. This new building was planned using a special design called the Kirkbride Plan. It was built on Belmont Street.
Construction started in 1870 and finished in 1876. The new Worcester State Hospital cost over a million dollars to build. That was a huge amount of money back then! The different parts of the hospital were named after places in Massachusetts. They were also named after important people who helped start the American Psychiatric Association.
Hospital Life and Changes
Over the years, thousands of patients stayed at the hospital. In 1949, a famous magazine called Life even showed what a typical day was like there.
In 1958, a new building called the Bryan Building was added. This helped ease the pressure on the older Kirkbride building. Slowly, the hospital's work moved into the Bryan Building. The original Kirkbride building was no longer used after 1985.
Sadly, in 1991, the old Kirkbride building had many fires. One side was completely destroyed, and the other side was badly damaged. In 1992, the state said the building was "an effective total loss."
What Happened Next?
Even though the main hospital closed in 1991, the Bryan Building kept helping patients until 2012. In 2004, there was a plan to build a brand new hospital on the same land. This meant tearing down all the remaining old and newer buildings.
The idea was that this new hospital would replace other hospitals in the state. It would take the place of Westborough State Hospital, Taunton State Hospital, and the Bryan Building.
In 2008, the movie Shutter Island was planned to be filmed at the hospital. But because the buildings were going to be torn down, the movie was filmed somewhere else.
Later in 2008, most of the remaining buildings were torn down. Only the Administration Block, with its famous clock tower, and two other small parts were saved. In 2009, construction began on the new hospital. It's a very modern building and is certified as LEED Gold. This means it's very good for the environment.
The new hospital is called Worcester Recovery Center & Hospital (WRCH). It opened in October 2012. It has different areas for patients as they get better. All the patients from the Bryan Building moved to this new, modern hospital.
In 2015, the saved clock tower was turned into a special memorial. It honors the original Kirkbride building and how important Worcester was for mental health care in America.
Important People Who Worked Here
- Andras Angyal, a psychiatrist who did research at the hospital from 1937 to 1945.
- David Shakow, a psychologist who also worked in the research unit.
