|
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. |
