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Constructed in 1887 at a cost of
$45,000, this building
replaced the hospital's first boiler
house which was located behind the
Main Building. On the lower floor
were the boilers, totaling 1070hp. The
boilers created steam to heat the
hospital, the steam was then
delivered through a system of
underground
tunnels. Also on the lower floor
was a coal vault and machine shop.
The laundry section which took care
of cleaning and mending all patient
garments was on the second floor.
And on the third floor were rooms
for the employees. In 1893 a 250kw. electric light
plant was installed at the cost of
$10,000. The dynamos for the
electric plant were placed in the
boiler room. Before the electric
plant was installed the hospital was
lighted by gas supplied by the
Harrisburg Gas Company. Later in 1938
a new power plant
was built when the hospital grew in
size, this building was then used
only for the machine shop and the
laundry. The large five story tower,
which is the buildings most
noticeable feature, houses a large water
tank for use in the laundry. The
building still exists today (2011) in much the
same condition it did at the
beginning of the 20th century.
Unlike most large state hospitals in the
United States, there was no rail
road next to the power plant for the
delivery of coal. Instead coal was brought up to the hospital by
horse and carriage, and later by
truck, from the hospital's wharf at
the canal.
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