Guide to the Records of Dixmont State Hospital, 1785-1998 (bulk 1910-1998)
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Records of Dixmont State Hospital
- Creator
- Dixmont State Hospital
- Collection Number
- MSS#329
- Extent
- 1.0 cubic feet (2 boxes)
- Date
- 1785-1998
- Date
- 1910-1998
- Abstract
- Dixmont State Hospital, founded in 1848 by Dorthea Dix, began as the Insane Department of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh. This hospital was the first chartered public hospital in Pittsburgh and the first institution in Western Pennsylvania to offer treatment for the insane. The Records of Dixmont State Hospital include annual reports, newspaper clippings, official seals, official documents, personal correspondences, post cards, and receipts. There is also material on the history of Dixmont, Dorthea Dix and West Penn Hospital. Most of the official documents that were stored at Dixmont were transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives on August 6, 1980.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
Organizational History of Dixmont State Hospital
Dixmont State Hospital, founded in 1848 by Dorthea Dix, began as the Insane Department of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh. This hospital was the first chartered public hospital in Pittsburgh and the first institution in Western Pennsylvania to offer treatment for the insane.
Dorothea Lynde Dix(April 4, 1802-July 18, 1887) was a social reformer who devoted her entire life to the improvement in conditions and treatment toward the insane. She was a humanitarian, educator, activist and writer who also strove to improve the conditions for and treatment toward the blind, deaf and prison inmates. She advocated and popularized institutional care for the mentally ill. Miss Dix personally strove to create institutions as well as make the existing institutions more humane. In 1843 there were 13 mental hospitals in the United States. By 1880 there were 123 in which Dorothea Dix was instrumental in finding 32 of them. She faithfully aimed to civilize our nation's treatment of the insane with perseverance and effectiveness.
As a lobbyist Dorothea Dix made herself one of the most politically active women of her generation. She was and became known as the "voice for the mad." The Insane Department of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital quickly became in need of more room and beds. She believed that a new and separate facility had to be built in order to attain the best quality care for the mentally ill. Miss Dix successfully lobbied the Pennsylvania State Legislature to apportion $10,000 towards her directive. She then personally selected the site for which the Insane Department of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital would move to. The site was 7 miles west of Pittsburgh overlooking the Ohio River located on U.S. Route 65 in Kilbuck Township, Allegheny County. The land was purchased on November 18, 1858 and the corner stone for the first building, Reed Hall, was laid on July 19, 1859. The hospital officially opened on November 13, 1862 and in honor of Miss Dix, was named the Western Pennsylvania for the Insane at Dixmont, Pennsylvania.
Dixmont was constructed without any enclosing fences. This was done to avoid any appearance of restraint. Dr. Joseph Reed, the first Superintendent of Dixmont, implemented the ideas of Miss Dix by providing patients with jobs and recreation while in an environment that was considered humane and comfortable. Dixmont was among the first hospitals not to use restraints as a method of treatment for the insane.
The hospital was legally separated from the Western Pennsylvania Hospital on July 27, 1907 when it was individually incorporated as the Dixmont Hospital for the Insane. On May 21, 1921 the name was changed again to Dixmont Hospital. Although always receiving state appropriations, the hospital continued to operate as a private corporation until 1945 when it was taken over by the state of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare. As a result, on September 30, 1945 the name was once again changed to Dixmont State Hospital.
Dixmont survived on both private and state contributions. But it was the state appropriations that enabled Dixmont to expand, renovate, and to survive as long as it did. Dixmont State Hospital grew to include as many as 88 functional buildings covering over 400 plus acres with patient numbers reaching close to 1,000 at times. Examples of necessary expansion were the additions of the Hutchinson Building in 1952 and the Cammarata Building in 1967. Both were named in honor of past Superintendents. Renovations were ongoing, slow and minimal as money was apportioned. In 1981 Reed Hall was named to the National Registry of Historic Places.
Despite the additions and remodeling, these efforts were never truly enough to combat a hospital of its magnitude and an aging facility that was over 100 years old. There were always more projects and improvements than money allowed. Dixmont's patient numbers also began to decline. As a result, the hospital remained and operated under the state of Pennsylvania until it closed in July of 1984.
Scope and Content Notes
The Records of Dixmont State Hospital are housed in two archival boxes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title. The bulk of the material dates from 1910 to 1998. The records include annual reports, newspaper clippings, official seals, official documents, personal correspondences, post cards, and receipts. There is also material on the history of Dixmont, Dorthea Dix and West Penn Hospital. Most of the official documents that were stored at Dixmont were transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives on August 6, 1980.
The Dixmont records include a list of antique furniture and items that were transferred to Mayview State Hospital from Dixmont when it closed in 1984. The land and buildings folder contains documents pertaining to a survey performed and sale of the property in the 1780s on which Dixmont is situated. There are excavation and stone work, brick work and carpenter work contracts for the original building, Reed Hall, for 1859. Also included are the The National Register of Historic Places Inventory and Nomination Form for Reed Hall. These forms contain brief histories of the site and building as well as the specifications for the building. The inventory also contains pictures of the other buildings and hand drawn maps marking the different buildings in relation to where they are situated.
The newspaper clippings surround important events, day-to-day activities as well as the issues that were troublesome to Dixmont. Many of the newspaper articles deal with the issues of Dixmont operating in a suspected below average environment. The official documents include original applications for the admission to the mental hospital dating from the 1870s. There are also original physicians' certificates that request the admittance of a person to the mental institution. A coroner's inquest form from 1873 and blank applications for admission to the hospital are also included. Also with in the records is the compiled inventoried list of official documents that were once housed at Dixmont and transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives. The series titles of The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) Pennsylvania State Archives records of the Department of Public Welfare, Dixmont State Hospital series, are included.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials came in one accession in 1999.
Acc# 1999.0111 Gift of Dr. Beryl R. Johnson (Collection. Dr. Beryl is a former employee of Dixmont Hospital and collected these records while working as a psychologist at the hospital).
Preferred Citation
Records of Dixmont State Hospital, 1785-1998 (bulk 1910-1998), MSS# 329, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Robert O. Stakeley in March 2001.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Robert O. Stakeley on December 10, 2002.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
- Dixmont State Hospital -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Dixmont Hospital for the Insane -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Dixmont Hospital -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Insane Department of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- West Penn Hospital -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Western Pennsylvania for the Insane at Dixmont, Pennsylvania -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Western Pennsylvania Hospital -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Dorthea Dix (Dorothea Lynde Dix) (April 4, 1802-July 18, 1887)
- Dr. Cammarata
- Dr. Hutchinson
- Dr. Joseph Reed
- Mentally ill -- care and treatment -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Mentally ill -- commitment and detention -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Mentally ill -- hospitals -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospital care -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Administration -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Admission and discharge -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Design and construction -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Psychiatric hospitals -- Employees -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh