Just wanted to start spring off with a beautiful picture of the hospital and to wish all of you a happy Friday!
Monthly Archives: March 2014
More Than Just A Place To Worship
Not sure how many of you know this; the hospital chapel was a multi function building. In the basement where (everyone gathers now for the tours in September) was once the women’s occupational therapy room as well as the campus store. In the main building more than just religious services took place. That is where patients and the community put on plays and dances where held. Shuffle board games were played. That is also where patients and staff gathered to watch a movie from a reel to reel projector.
Book 2 will be out soon!
Housing for Staff
The mansion was completed and ready to be moved into in 1926. Before that time, Dr. Doughty and his wife were living on the second floor of the administration building. This was not an ideal way for employees to live but there was no other choice, unless you had an alternative dwelling close to the campus. Other staff members such as nurses, attendants, and doctors were living right where they worked as well. The attendants sometimes had a room right on the same floor as the patients they were tending, while others slept in the attics of the buildings. This made for less than desirable living conditions, and became a glaring problem for retaining quality employees. Housing for staff was essential and the problem was being addressed by the early 1920s with the completion of the first nurse’s dorm in 1924. Farm foremen had homes for themselves almost immediately by way of already existing dwellings on the property at the time of purchase.
One Year Ago
It was one year ago this month that Northern State Hospital was released. In that time so many things have happened. I have met so many interesting people and gained a better knowledge from those who worked at this place. With that has come a greater understanding and respect. Thank you.
Fun Times
Several times as I read through the old Northern State Hospital newspaper at this time of year the patients would begin squawking with anticipation about the opening of baseball season. This must have been a very exciting time of year. In May, from what I gather, is when the fun times would begin. But in March, staff and patients alike would be itching for the fun to begin. 
Meaningful Service
Very shortly after this FB page was started a former employee contacted me. She wrote me a very lovely letter about what life was like working in the infirmary ward at the hospital. She said that she went to nursing school there as well. She said she loved taking care of those she came in contact with and felt she made a real difference in the lives she touched. I’m sure she did just by the way that she wrote about them. After all of this time she said she still remembered many of their faces and names. She also expressed how much she missed those times. Thank you for the meaningful service you rendered Mary. 
Readying the Hospital Farm
The hospital farm at this point 60 years ago was being readied for planting. The hospital and its patients depended on that parcel of land for its very survival. Patients and employees worked very hard to keep it functioning properly. During those months there was a special farm ward that some of the population lived in so that they would be close to their point and place of duty. That building no longer exists. Perhaps some of you might know when it was torn down? I’m pretty sure it was gone before my family arrived in 1979. I don’t recall ever seeing that building and I explored that area almost as much as the main campus.
Visiting the hospital when I was a child was a very special thing. I remember the excitement every time I went there because it seemed like I always discovered something new. I use to watch a show on Home and Garden Network years ago called, If Walls Could Talk. In the show historic homes would be showcased and the owners would show the artifacts they discovered in or on the property. NSH is still like that now, but nothing to the tune that it was less than a decade after it closed. Since then too much has been carelessly tossed out or destroyed. Too many items have been walked off with, and in some cases, even parts of the buildings themselves were re-appropriated into other people’s homes. Even in parts of the morgue before that was torn down. It was pretty shameful there for a while. I’m glad there is a more concentrated effort to preserve what is left now.
Northern State Hospital Book 