|
April 13 1868 |
|
Act 49 is passed and the
"State Hospital for the
Insane, at Danville" is
established. |
|
October 26, 1868 |
|
Plans developed by
Architect John McArthur Jr.
are approved by the
Governor. |
|
August 26, 1869 |
|
The cornerstone of the
Main Building is laid. |
|
1870 |
|
The Boiler House and
Washhouse are completed. |
|
October 18, 1872 |
|
The hospital is opened. |
|
November 6, 1872 |
|
The first patient
arrives at the hospital. |
|
September 30, 1873 |
|
The patient population
was 210. |
|
December 3, 1873 |
|
The Board of Trustees
assumed control and
ownership of the hospital
from the building
commissioners. |
|
October 1880 |
|
All building according to
the original plan were
built. A total of 22 buildings
were built,
improvements are made to
water and sewer systems. |
|
March 5, 1881 |
|
A large fire destroys
the majority of the
Main
Building. |
|
1882 |
|
A telegraph system is
installed. |
|
1883 |
|
The patient population
is 300. |
|
1884 |
|
The reconstruction of
the administration section
of the Main Building is
completed, a 600 seat
amusement hall is
constructed on the fourth
floor. |
|
1885 |
|
A well was sunk. |
|
October 1886 |
|
Reconstruction of the entire
Main Building is completed.
Some alterations and many
improvements have been made
to the building. |
|
1887 |
|
The Training School for
Attendants is established. |
|
1889 |
|
Brick walls are erected
around the airing courts and
an iron fence was erected
around the property.
Systematic lasses for
attendants were started at
the new school. |
|
1890 |
|
The rivers becomes
contaminated as a result of
discharging hospital sewage
directly into the river.
3,368 yards of pipe are laid
to extend the discharge pipe
to a "safe point" below the
town. |
|
1891 |
|
Additional land is
purchased. Hospital land now
totals 570 acres. |
|
1892 |
|
The patient population was
800. |
|
1893 |
|
The first class of 16
attendants graduates from
the new Training School for
Attendants. |
|
April 11, 1895 |
|
The first female physician
is appointed to the hospital
staff, Dr. Alice Palmer. |
|
September 1896 |
|
A fire destroys the main
barn. |
|
1896 |
|
Water lines are extended to
the farm and fire hydrants
are installed. The hospital
fire department receives its
first motorized piece of
fire apparatus. |
|
1896 |
|
The first floor of the new
Infirmary Building is
occupied. |
|
1898 |
|
Welspach lights are
installed, replacing the
open gas jet lights. |
|
1900 |
|
Edgewood, the female nurses
home, is opened. Telephone
service is established. |
|
1904 |
|
A water filtration and
sewage plant are built. |
|
1906 |
|
All buildings are wired with
electricity. New electric
lights are installed. 1,300
white enamel beds are
purchased for patients, 125
are purchased for the staff. |
|
1907 |
|
A fourth floor is added to
the Block Building. |
|
1908 |
|
Male and female acute
buildings are contracted.
The new buildings have
hydrotherapy equipment in
the basement. |
|
1909-1910 |
|
A new larger sewage plant is
constructed. Now able to
treat sewage with chloride
of lime. |
|
1910-1912 |
|
The cold storage and
refrigerating plants are
improved. |
|
1912-1914 |
|
The industrial building for
male patients is
constructed. The
incineration plants and
garage are also built. |
|
1914 |
|
The industrial building for
women opens. |
|
1915 |
|
Typhoid Fever breaks out at
the hospital, and 15 deaths
occur. 195 cattle and 164
swine are killed due to
Aphthous Fever. |
|
1916 |
|
A moving picture machine is
purchased through the
efforts of Mrs. Meredith
(wife of Dr. Meredith) |
|
1916 |
|
A laboratory is organized. |
|
1918 |
|
The first section of the
Male Industrial Building is
destroyed by fire. |
|
1918 |
|
Due to World War 1 female
nurses are used to cover
vacancies in the male wards. |
|
March 1920 |
|
Immunizations of all
patients and staff against
Typhoid Fever takes place. |
|
January 15, 1921 |
|
The Department of Community
Services is created. |
|
1921 |
|
The Mental Health Bulletin
is launched. |
|
1922-1924 |
|
The Occupational Therapy
Department is established. |
|
1924-1927 |
|
Swimming pools, tennis
courts, and a baseball field
are constructed. |
|
1928 |
|
A new power plant is
constructed. |
|
1928-1930 |
|
The kitchen is upgraded and
modern electrical equipment
is installed. Drinking
fountains are installed and
the radio is made available
in patient areas. A
Tuberculosis building for
male patients is
constructed, but due to over
crowding it was used to
house female patients. |
|
1932 |
|
The moving picture machine
was replaced with a "sound
film machine". |
|
1934 |
|
The Diagnostic Clinic
Building opened. |
|
1936 |
|
The hospital began
restricting new patient
admissions due to over
crowding |
|
1937 |
|
A fire destroyed a large
portion of the laundry. |
|
1937 |
|
Steel fire escapes are
installed, smoke break
partitions are constructed,
fire proof doors are
installed, and four
fire towers are erected.
A new fire alarm system was
also installed. |
|
1938 |
|
The laundry is
reconstructed. The pumping
station is modernized. |
|
June 1, 1938 |
|
Insulin Shock Therapy is
introduced. |
|
1941 |
|
The Hospital Building is
opened. |
|
August 1943 |
|
Electro shock Therapy is
introduced. |
|
1944 |
|
War conditions limited the
number of physicians at the
hospital to only 6, compared
to the normal number of 13. |
|
1945 |
|
The horse barn caught on
fire, 15 animals and all the
equipment was destroyed. |
|
1947 |
|
The patient population
reaches 2,918. The horse
barn is reconstructed.
|
|
1948-1949 |
|
Additional electro shock
treatment machines are
purchased. 14,229 individual
treatment have been given. |
|
1949 |
|
A turkey pen is built. |
|
1950 |
|
Terrance Nurses Home is
opened as well as a new
Dietary Building. |
|
1951 |
|
An employee cafeteria is
opened. |
|
1952 |
|
The Admissions building is
opened. The Female Maximum
Security Building is opened
(Reed). |
|
1953 |
|
A 600 seat patient cafeteria
is opened. A new auditorium
and gymnasium is also
opened. |
|
1950-1952 |
|
Common patient treatments
included hydrotherapy,
massage, and actintherapy. |
|
1954 |
|
A dial telephone system is
installed. Tranquilizing
drugs are introduced, as a
result electro shock therapy
treatments are used less
often. |
|
1955 |
|
Hydrotherapy is used less
often. The old laboratory is
demolished. The patient
population is 2,801. |
|
1956 |
|
Walls and fences are removed
from the "airing courts" and
court yards. 237 patients
now had ground privileges,
compared to only 40 in 1954.
Use of the library also
increased. |
|
1957 |
|
Parcels of hospital land
that was no longer needed
were sold off. All fences
and walls surrounding the
hospital are removed. |
|
1958 |
|
The alcoholic and adolescent
units are opened. |
|
1961 |
|
The patient population is
2,400 with 856 staff
employees. |
|
1964 |
|
Fire destroys the dairy
barns and five silos. |
|
1965 |
|
The hospital is connected to
the city sewage system. |
|
1966 |
|
The Men's Geriatric Building
is closed due to
"deplorable" conditions.
Screening of patients over
60 was implemented and
efforts were made to find an
alternative facility for
elderly patients. |
|
1967 |
|
The dairy barns are rebuilt
on a new site. |
|
1969 |
|
Farming is discontinued at
the hospital due to the
"Institutional Peonage
Abolishment Act". The
patient population begins to
decline significantly. The
hospital now only houses
1,872 patients. |
|
1972 |
|
Sections of the South
Geriatrics is renovated and
a new wing is opened. |
|
1973 |
|
The use of restraints,
seclusion, and therapeutic
packs is discontinued. |
|
December 1973 |
|
The industrial therapy
program is discontinued. |
|
1974 |
|
The adolescent unit is
closed. The Joint Commission
declined accreditation to
the hospital due to the lack
of sufficient medical staff
and space conditions. |
|
1977 |
|
The first non-medical acting
superintendent is appointed.
Medicare certifications are
met. Because of a large
decrease in the patient
population the following
buildings are vacated:
Curwin, Green, Oakwood,
Edgewood, Edgehill, and
Kirkbride. |
|
May 1979 |
|
The patient population is
755. |
|
1980 |
|
Kirkbride is reopened as
part of a long term care
facility. The PA Department
of Agriculture now controls
the hospital farm. |
|
1983 |
|
The Reed Building is
converted to ICF as part of
the long term care facility. |
|
September 1984 |
|
The patient population is
660. |
|
1985 |
|
Several vacant buildings at
the rear of the hospital
property are demolished. A
three year accreditation is
granted to the hospital by
the Joint Commission. |
|
January 1992 |
|
The patient population is
456 with 651 employees. |
|
January 2008 |
|
The patient population is
163. Renovations to the Main
Building begin, including
new stucco applied to the
exterior of the wards. New
drop ceilings and tile
floors are installed inside
the building. All patients
now live in the Main
Building. |
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