Eaton

Architect: Unknown
Appropriation Year: 1958
Construction Started: 1958
Construction Finished: 1960
Building Opened: 1960
Demolished: No
Current Building Number: 54
Building Type: Patient Wards
Alternate Names:
 -Patients Building & Dietary Service Unit
 -Eaton Hall
 -"E" Building
SEE IT ON A MAP: Map 1 (Building is highlighted in yellow)
 

Built in 1958 and named after superintendent Hamblen Eaton, Eaton stands three stories tall and has a simple and somewhat plain design. It's most noticeable and unique feature are the day room sections that extend out from the front of the building on either side of the entrance. On the exterior, the day rooms are covered in green tile work that was commonly seen on building constructed in the late 1950s. The dayrooms also have metal work just above the windows on each floor. The metal work doesn't seem to have any purpose other than for aesthetics. The building housed schizophrenic, violent, and uncontrollable patients. Until Eaton was completed these patients were housed in the original Violent Ward Buildings, when the patients were moved to Eaton those buildings took on different functions. Other than the large dayrooms, Eaton also featured a library, beauty salon, a pharmacy, and a kitchen. There were also a few small hydrotherapy rooms, but by the 1950s this method of treatment was being phased out in favor of new medications. At each end of the building were isolation rooms for the most uncontrollable patients. These rooms were not intended for use as a patient's full time room, but as a place that a patient was put temporarily until they calmed down and could be returned to their normal room. Male and female patients both lived in this building, but were segregated, with women on one side and men on the other. In the center of the building was a small administration like section that housed the lobby on the first floor, elevators, and doctors offices on the upper floors. Eaton is connected via the tunnel system to the rest of the building on the campus. Even though the building is one of the most modern on the campus and even has air conditioning, it has sat abandoned ever since the hospital closed. The entire roof has already been replaced once in it's life time, but continues to be a source of problems for the building. Rain water still penetrates the roof to this day. Mold has been growing in the building for years and water damage is plainly visible throughout the building on all floors. An attempt was made a few years ago to make the building usable, but the contactor was unable to guarantee the complete removal of all the mold and the plans were abandoned. Currently the building is used for storage, it is packed to the brim with furniture and other things from the hospital. It is also used to train police K-9 dogs, which are let loose in the building in search of drugs that the police officers hide amongst the ruins of old hospital furniture. Most recently the building was used in May of 2010 as one of the sets for the show Ghost Lab which will air on the Discovery Channel for season two of the show. The future of the Eaton Building is uncertain. Because of it's unique 1950s look it is not considered as valuable as the other buildings on the campus. Once state funding is allocated the building will likely be demolished, but that could be years away from happening.

Interesting Facts About Eaton Building

  • In the first floor lobby, on either side of the front door are two flower beds. When the building was built the flower beds had live trees and plants in them. The live trees were soon replaced with fake ones. Medium sized stones were put in the flower beds around the fake trees. Patients quickly discovered the rocks and began throwing them at hospital staff and each other. As a result the rocks were smothered in a clear glue so that the patients could not pick them up. The rocks and trees are still present today and can bee seen in my photos.
  • One of the second floor dayrooms contains a pool table that the patients were allowed to play on. Occasionally the patients would start to throw the pool balls at the glass windows of the nurses station which is located just outside the dayroom. As a result Plexiglas was installed over the glass windows inside the dayroom. This Plexiglas can still be seen today in my photos as well as the pool table.

Submitted Photos of Eaton Building

These are photos of the Eaton Building taken by someone other than the owner of this website and submitted with approval to be posted here for others to see.

Taken Feb 1998, this photo shows the discharge ward, E3 West

 
 
 
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR NEWEST PHOTOS ON FLICKR
 

Contemporary Photos

[Back]

____________________________________________

Copyright 2007 - 2024 • Thomas Industries • All rights reserved