Rochester State Hospital

Rochester State Hospital. Rochester, NY. , This site - once part of the Town of Brighton - was used for farming throughout most of the 1800s. Originally established in 1857, the Monroe County Insane Asylum occupied the land north of Elmwood Avenue. In 1897, the City of Rochester purchased a 100-acre parcel of land extending south from Elmwood Avenue running along the east side of South Avenue. Although originally intended for use as a working farm to make the facility more self-sufficient, this site would eventually be home to the expanded Rochester State Hospital (known today as the Rochester Psychiatric Center)., Due to substantial growth in the hospital's population, numerous new buildings were constructed in the early years of the 20th century. This included the Georgian Revival style Director's Residence (1908). built at the southern end of the property. The Hospital census climbed to 1,400 patients by 1910 and 2,600 by the 1930s – leading to construction of additional patient treatment, support facilities, and staff housing to address severe overcrowding at New York's mental health facilities during the Great Depression. Among the new buildings was the Howard Complex (1930). three interconnected patient wards built in the Spanish Revival style which formed the core of the new quad. Four years later, an additional patient ward, now known as the Walters Building, was constructed just south of the Howard Complex in the Georgian Revival style., Also included in the 1930s expansion were the Staff Accommodation Building and Garage Building (both built in 1930 and demolished 2018), located southwest of the Walters Building. These were representative of the numerous staff and community buildings comprising the new unified campus, including a power station, laundry facility, and on-sitehousing for staff who oversaw and ran the Hospital., By the 1960s, the State Hospital campus encompassed nearly 200 acres of land and over 80 buildings that served more than 5,000 patients. Over the next three decades, the focus of treatment for mental illness shifted away from large State Hospital campuses to more community-based treatment. All of the buildings north of Elmwood Avenue were demolished by the 1980s, and many of the buildings south of Elmwood have been repurposed. The area is now home to a wide array of independent human services providers including autism and pediatric behavioral health services – continuing the legacy of caring services for our community - along with diverse, small businesses and single- family residences. The remaining buildings of the Rochester State Hospital site are significant both as examples of Georgian and Spanish Revival style architecture, and for their association with the State of New York's efforts to address the mental health crisis during the Great Depression., Top Right Inset , 1897 , Additional land was purchased, marking the beginning of major building campaigns to expand the facility , 1930s , Second significant expansion , 1960 , Hospital campus grew to 200 acres - 80 buildings serving 5,000 patients , 2019 , This site is home to an array of independent human services providers, Architectural campus drawing circa 1949 , 1 Walters Building , 2 Garage Building , 3 Staff Accommodation Building , 4 Howard Complex , 5 Hospital Director’s Residence, Buildings constructed from 1930-1934 created a unified campus with an open central quad with patient wards intended to address severe overcrowding at New York's mental health facilities during the Great Depression., Middle Picture: Architectural campus drawing circa 1949. State Hospital. Rochester, N. Y. In 1966, asylum buildings were demolished that had stood for nearly a century., Bottom Picture: Staff Accommodation Building East Facade, Demolished 2018. Photo Circa 1940.