The Haverford State Hospital was a
psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
outside of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Its extensive former grounds occupy the northern sections of
Delaware County west of the city of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, in
Haverford Township
Haverford Township is a Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule municipality Township (Pennsylvania), township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.[Habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...]
on September 3, 1969.
At the time of its closure in 1998, its superintendent was Aidan Altenor. Its closure was partly due to a lawsuit based on the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...
, as well as the general deinstitutionalization of the state hospital system. When it closed, most of the patients were transferred to the
Norristown State Hospital
Norristown State Hospital, originally known as the ''State Lunatic Hospital at Norristown'', is an active state-funded psychiatric hospital located outside the city of Philadelphia in suburban Norristown, Pennsylvania, Norristown, Pennsylvania. It ...
. The land was used for some years as a haunted hayride, though this use had ceased in the years leading up to its demolition and redevelopment.
Sales scandal
On November 14, 2006, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners approved the Agreement of Sale and Preliminary Land Development Plans. The so-called Haverford Reserve development was to include 100 carriage homes and 198 condominiums, as well as several athletic fields and over 120 areas for passive recreation. The hospital had also been a target in the previous year for people scrapping for copper and other valuable metals. On April 5, 2007, the Pennsylvania Attorney General filed an indictment against 5th ward commissioner Fred C. Moran in conjunction with the sale of the state hospital property,
[Pennsylvania Attorney General.]
Attorney General Corbett announces grand jury report of investigation into misconduct by officials in Haverford Township, Delaware County; Criminal charges filed against commissioner
(05 April 2007) alleging that Moran had disclosed the confidential bids of other potential developers to one of the contractors.
Moran was convicted of Bribery in Official and Political Matters in 2008, and lost his appeal.
Development
Demolition of the hospital began in early June 2007, beginning with the administration and recreation buildings, followed by the extended treatment and geriatric wards. The final two buildings to be demolished were the boiler plant, and the five story Hilltop building, which was demolished on January 17, 2008.
The upper portion of the property was developed into housing, while the lower portion was developed into athletic and recreation areas for the township. The woods surrounding the property to the south and west have been preserved. The Reserve includes over five miles of hiking trails, a playground, a dog park, two grass fields, one synthetic turf field, one synthetic turf baseball and softball diamond, and a community recreation and environmental center.
References
External links
{{authority control
Hospital buildings completed in 1964
Psychiatric hospitals in Pennsylvania
Hospitals in Pennsylvania
Haverford Township, Pennsylvania
1964 establishments in Pennsylvania