|
April 14, 1845 |
The Pennsylvania State
Lunatic Hospital is
established. |
|
1848 |
Construction is started
with John Haviland as
the architect. |
|
April 7, 1849 |
The cornerstone of the
Main Building is
laid by Governor William
F. Johnson. |
|
February 14, 1851 |
John Curwen is elected
superintendent at
the first meeting of the
hospital trustees. |
|
October 1, 1851 |
The hospital is opened
to the public. |
|
October 13, 1851 |
The first patient is
admitted to the
hospital. |
|
1853 |
Dixmont and Dorothea Dix
Library buildings are
built. |
|
1856 |
Dam and Water Works are
built in the ravine. |
|
1859 |
The hospital barn is
burned down by an irate
patient. |
|
1865 |
A smallpox epidemic
breaks out at the
hospital. |
|
1867 |
The
Fan house and storage
building are built
behind the
Main Building. |
|
1871 |
Hypodermic injections
and anticonvulsant drugs
are first used for
sleeplessness. |
|
1873 |
The wash house is
destroyed by fire. |
|
1874 |
The Gas Works is built. |
|
1875 |
The Steward's residence
is built. (This building
is later used as the
Gatehouse) |
|
July 8, 1880 |
Margaret A. Cleaves is
elected as the first
female physician. |
|
February 14, 1881 |
Jerome Z. Gerhand is
appointed the new
superintendent. |
|
September 1, 1883 |
Jane Kimmel Garver is
appointed "physician in
medical control of
female patients". |
|
1887 |
The
laundry / powerhouse,
carpenter's shop, paint
shop, and
North & South Branch
buildings are built. |
|
1891 |
Henry L Orth is
appointed as the new
superintendent. |
|
November 1, 1891 |
The hospital passes the
1,000 patient mark. |
|
1893 |
Addison Hutton is hired
to rebuild the hospital
following the "Cottage
Plan". |
|
May 1895 |
The new
Administration Building
is completed. |
|
1900 |
The
Infirmary Building
is built. |
|
1902 |
The
Kitchen & Bakery
buildings are built. |
|
1903 |
The Morgue is built. |
|
1904 |
The Cold Storage Plant
is built. |
|
1905 |
Male Wards
3 & 4,
5 & 6, and
7 & 8 are built. |
|
1906 |
The
Female Nurses Home
is built |
|
1908 |
Female Wards
3 & 4,
5 & 6, and
7 & 8 are built. |
|
1910 |
The Sewage Plant,
Commissary, and Sewing
Room are built. A dairy
herd is destroyed as a
test for tuberculosis. |
|
1911 |
The
Solarium is built. |
|
1913 |
The
Chapel is built. |
|
February 15 1914 |
The Chapel is officially
opened. |
|
1916 |
One of the hospital's
barns is struck by
lightning and destroyed. |
|
December 1, 1917 |
Edward M. Green is
appointed the new
superintendent. |
|
1919 |
342 cases of the flu are
reported. |
|
May 31, 1921 |
The name of the hospital
is changed from
Pennsylvania State
Lunatic Hospital to
Harrisburg State
Hospital. |
|
1921 |
Drug addicts are
committed to
Pennsylvania state
hospitals for the first
time. |
|
1922 |
The school of licensed
attendants is
established. |
|
March 8, 1927 |
The
Ice House is
destroyed by fire. |
|
1928 |
The Married Employees
Building is built. |
|
1930 |
The
Dairy Barn,
Dairyman's Cottage,
Horse Stable, and
Physician's Residence is
built. A second floor is
added to the
Infirmary. |
|
1934 |
The
Hospital for the
Physically Ill and
the
Blacksmith Shop is
built. Howard K. Petry
is appointed
superintendent. |
|
Mid 1930s |
Insulin shock therapy
treatment is introduced. |
|
1935 |
The chicken barn is
built. |
|
1938 |
The new
Power Plant and
Tubercular Building
is built. An addition is
built onto the
Central Kitchen. |
|
March 1941 |
Electroshock treatment
is introduced |
|
1947 |
The hospital passes the
3,000 patient mark. |
|
1951 |
The
Admissions and
Hillcrest Buildings
are built. |
|
1952 |
Psychotropic drugs are
introduced. |
|
December 16, 1954 |
Hamblen C. Eaton is
appointed
superintendent. |
|
1957 |
The
Eaton Building is
built. |
|
1958 |
Staff residences on
hospital grounds are
discontinued. |
|
1966 |
The Work Advancement
Center is built.
Outpatient services are
discontinued with the
passage of the Mental
Health Act. |
|
1969 |
S. Philips Laucks is
appointed
superintendent. |
|
1972 |
Peonage and farming is
discontinued at the
hospital because of a
U.S. Middle Court
decision. |
|
1974 |
John B. Logan is
appointed
superintendent. |
|
1979 |
Ford S. Thompson is
appointed
superintendent. |
|
1988 |
John Flatley is
appointed
superintendent. |
|
1999 |
Several buildings,
including the
Administration Building,
are used for the set of
the movie
Girl, Interrupted.
|
|
January 27, 2006 |
Governer Edward G.
Rendell closes
Harrisburg State
Hospital. |
|
2006 |
The Dept of General
Services takes over the
property and various
state agencies move in
to many of the
buildings. |
|
2008 |
Filming of the movie
Another Harvest Moon
is to take place at the
hospital. |
|
2016 |
it costs $5 million
annually to maintain the
former state hospital
site. |
|
June 2017 |
The Dept of General
Services starts looking
for a buyer for the
property. |
|
October 2017 |
Harrisburg officials
unveil a proposal to use
the site as a new Amazon
headquarters. |
|
April 2019 |
The Dauphin County
Redevelopment Authority
is offered the propery
for no cost. |
|
December
2021 |
All state
agencies have vacated
the campus. |
|
January 2022 |
The Dauphin County
Redevelopment Authority
deal expires with no
outcome. |
|
2022 |
Discussions begin about
a joint laboratory
project on the proprty. |
|
November 2022 |
All plans to sell the
property are ended. |
|
August 2024 |
The Department of
General Services unveils
plans to construct a new
$450 million joint
laboratory complex on
the grounds. |
|
December 9, 2024 |
Cherrywood Building
#33 catches on fire.
More info:
link1
link2
link3 |
|
January 2025 |
Demolition prep begins
on all the patient
buildings and a fence is
erected around the
campus. The demolition
of the former patient
buildings is being
managed by the
Pennsylvania Department
of General Services and
executed by contractor
F.R. Beinke Wrecking,
Inc. as part of a $450
million state
redevelopment project. |
|
March 2025 |
The remains to
Cherrywood Building #33
are demolished. |
|
April 2025 |
Slothower Building #16
is demolished |
|
May 2025 |
The laundry building and
original power plant are
demolished |
|
May-June 2025 |
Shamrock Hall Bldg #31
and Beechmonth Bldg #32
are demolished |
|
June-July 2025 |
Petry Building #17 is
demolished |
|
July 2025 |
The Dome Building is
demolished |
|
August 2025 |
Anderson Hall Building
#21 is demolished |
|
September 2025 |
Green Building #22 and
Lanco Lodge and all
kitchen buildings are
demolished |
|
October 2025 |
Cedarcrest Building #23
and the Married Employee
Home are both demolished |
|
November 2025 |
Demolistion begins on
Willow Oak Building
#42/41 |
|
January 2026 |
Demolition is completed
on Willow Oak |
|
February 2026 |
Eaton Building #54 is
demolished |
|
March 2026 |
Hilltop Building #52 and
Hillcrest Building #53
are both demolished |
|
July 2026 |
The Morgue, Gate House,
and Doctor homes at the
old main entrance are
demolished |
|
August 2026 |
All demolition work and
ground stabilization
work has been completed.
The demolition company
F.R. Beinke Wrecking,
Inc vacates the grounds
making way for new
construction to being. |
