Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Texas State Antiquities Landmark | |
![]() The former State Lunatic Asylum is now the administration building for the Austin State Hospital campus. | |
Location | 4110 Guadalupe Austin, Texas, USA |
---|---|
Coordinates | 30°18′26.64″N 97°44′13.92″W / 30.3074000°N 97.7372000°WCoordinates: 30°18′26.64″N 97°44′13.92″W / 30.3074000°N 97.7372000°W |
Built | 1857[citation needed] |
Architect | Charles Payne |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 87002115 |
RTHL No. | 15648 |
TSAL No. | 598 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | December 4, 1987 |
Designated RTHL | 1966 |
Designated TSAL | 7/20/1999 |
Austin State Hospital (ASH), formerly known until 1925 as the Texas State Lunatic Asylum, is a 299-bed psychiatric hospital located in Austin, Texas. It is the oldest psychiatric facility in the state of Texas, and the oldest continuously operating west of the Mississippi River.[1] It is operated by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
History (1856-1860)[]
The Texas State Lunatic Asylum was chartered by the Texas Legislature on August 28, 1856. The Act set aside $50,000 in U.S. bonds for the construction of a suitable building. The Governor was authorized to appoint a commission of three men to select a site of between 50 and 100 acres for the asylum, and to appoint a physician to serve as Superintendent at a salary of $2,000 per year and $10,000 in U.S. bonds was set aside for operations of the facility.[2] Gov. Elisha M. Pease appointed Dr. J. C. Perry as the first Superintendent on May 27, 1857.[3] He was replaced by Dr. C. G. Keenan on February 13, 1858.[3]
Dr. Beriah Graham Superintendency (1860-1861)[]
Sam Houston was elected governor in 1859 and appointed Dr. Beriah Graham as Superintendent on January 9, 1860.[3] It was during Dr. Graham's tenure that the Main Building was completed and opened for patients on March 11, 1861.[3] Five days later, Gov. Houston resigned, and his successor, Gov. Edward Clark, re-appointed Dr. Keenan. Dr. Keenan served for about seven months until a new governor was elected later that year.
Dr. J. M. Steiner Superintendency (1861-1865)[]
Gov. Francis Lubbock appointed Dr. J. M. Steiner as Superintendent on November 1, 1861.[3]
Support organizations[]
![]() | This section does not cite any sources. (October 2020) |
Austin State Hospital's Volunteer Services Council (VSC) is a 501(c)(3) corporation. The VSC conducts fundraiser and donation programs and helps build community awareness about mental illness and the role of Austin State Hospital in the treatment of mental illness.
Gallery[]
Entrance to the Austin State Hospital
References[]
- ^ Services, Texas Department of State Health. "The Texas Department of State Health Services - Austin State Hospital". dshs.texas.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ^ "Texas Lunatic Asylum". Texas State Gazette. November 22, 1856.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Clay, W. J. (1904). Statistical Report 1904. Austin, Texas: Von Boeckmann-Jones. p. 190.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Austin State Hospital. |
- Austin State Hospital[1]
- Austin State Hospital from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Disability History in Texas
- Austin State Hospital Volunteer Services Council
- Austin State Hospital Cemeteries Index
- Asylum Projects info
- National Register of Historic Places in Austin, Texas
- Hospital buildings completed in 1861
- Psychiatric hospitals in Texas
- Buildings and structures in Austin, Texas
- 1861 establishments in Texas
- Hospital buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks
- Southern United States hospital stubs
- Texas building and structure stubs
- Texas Registered Historic Place stubs
- Austin, Texas stubs