The New Hampshire State Hospital was originally constructed in 1842 in

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, as the seventeenth such

mental institution 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 ...

in the country to cater to the state's

mentally ill A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

population.

History

It began simply with the main administration building with two symmetrical wings: the female ward to the left and the male ward to the right. In 1892, Dr. Charles Bancroft had the Bancroft Building constructed as a residential dormitory for female patients. The mansion used European-style architecture to create a more homelike feel for patients. The Twitchell House was built two years later in 1894 for the same reason but for male patients. In 1899, a nurses' annex was built to accommodate the facilities' growing number of staff members. Before 1899, the nurses lived on patient wards during their shift intervals. This new nurses' home was connected to the Bancroft Building and the Main Administration Building via tunnel-esque hallways that allowed for easy travel. In 1907, a new medical surgical building named the Thayer Building was constructed adjacent to the Main Administration Building. It provided the space for routine

surgeries Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

as well as sterilizations, which were commonplace during New Hampshire's

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

movement. More institutional buildings like the Walker Building (built between 1913 and 1917), the Brown Building (1924), and the Tobey Building (1930) provided compact housing as the hospital population spiked dramatically. The Brown Building was built to house female patients, while Tobey was constructed to house male patients. Brown continued to house patients until 1989, when they were transferred to the newly built facility on the same property, New Hampshire Hospital. 1941 brought about the construction of a new

geriatric Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek language, Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατ ...

facility, the Dolloff Building, named for Dr. Charles Dolloff. The Thayer Building was converted into geriatric housing in the 1950s when the population of elderly increased. In 1960, the Philbrook Center was brought to fruition in the name of Dr. Anna L. Philbrook. Philbrook pioneered

adolescent psychiatry Child and adolescent psychiatry (or pediatric psychiatry) is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders in children, adolescents, and their families. It investigates the biopsychosocial fact ...

and championed the addition of a separate facility for the care of mentally disturbed youths.

Modern use

The facility closed its doors in 1989 and all services were moved to the new, state-of-the-art hospital, named the New Hampshire Hospital. The former buildings became state offices, with a large number of organizations operating out of the former hospital campus. The Bancroft Building, however, remains abandoned, as well as the Kent Annex and Peaslee Annex wings of the Main Administration Building.

Notable people

Catherine Fiske Catherine Fiske (July 30, 1784 – May 20, 1837) was an American teacher and principal who founded a girls' boarding school, Miss Catherine Fiske's Young Ladies Seminary. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, it was in operation from 1814 until the 184 ...

(1764-1837), benefactor

References

{{authority control Hospitals in Concord, New Hampshire Government buildings in New Hampshire Defunct hospitals in New Hampshire Psychiatric hospitals in New Hampshire Hospitals disestablished in 1989