Central State Hospital (Kentucky)

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United States historic place

Central Kentucky Lunatic Asylum

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Central State Hospital in 2025

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Nearest city| Anchorage, Kentucky vicinity
Coordinates| 38°16′41″N 85°33′18″W﻿ / ﻿38.27806°N 85.55500°W﻿ / 38.27806; -85.55500
Area| less than one acre
Built| 1874
Architectural style| Classical Revival, Tudor Revival
MPS| Jefferson County MRA
NRHP reference No.| 83002646[1]
Added to NRHP| July 12, 1983

Central State Hospital is a 192-bed adult psychiatric hospital located in the Lakeland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.

## History

[edit]

In 1869, 200 acres were purchased by the Kentucky State Legislature from the descendants of renown frontiersman Issac Hite to establish a "State House of Reform for Juvenile Delinquents." This was located on the outskirts of what would become Anchorage, Kentucky. In 1873, due to overcrowding at both of Kentucky's mental hospitals, the House of Reform was converted into the Fourth Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, with Dr. C.C. Forbes as its first Superintendent. The following year an act of the legislature renamed it the Central Kentucky Lunatic Asylum. In late 1887, it received its own post office, called simply "Asylum". The following year its name was changed to "Lakeland", and the institution was commonly referred to as "Lakeland Hospital" or "Lakeland Asylum". By 1900, its official name had been changed to the Central Kentucky Asylum for the Insane. By 1912 it was known as Central State Hospital. Comparable institutions are Eastern State Hospital at Lexington in Fayette County and Western State Hospital at Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky. All three were administered by the Board of Charitable Organizations.

The secluded, rural setting was typical of such facilities in the late 19th century, as such an environment was thought to be beneficial for recovery from mental illness. However, not all patients had mental disorders - some suffered from brain damage, mental retardation or were simply poor or elderly. The early years of the 1880s were marked by repeated allegations of patient abuse. In 1879, Dr. Robert H. Gale was appointed superintendent.[2] In 1882, conduct was investigated in the "ducking" or near drowning death of a patient. He was later exonerated of the charges.[3] Gale was followed by H. K. Pusey in 1884.[4]

Throughout Central States history, the institution suffered from improper funding, understaffing, and overcrowding. Though built to accommodate 1,600 patients, by 1940 there were in excess of 2,400 patients and again various accusations of patient mistreatment began to arise. However, starting in the 1950s, changing community perception of the mentally disturbed led to fewer patients staying permanently in mental hospitals. In 1962, $3,000,000 was allowed by the state to construct more modern facilities on LaGrange Road. Many of these are still standing.

In 1986, a new modern administration facility was completed on property adjacent to the 1960s buildings. The original hospital and surviving structures on what was called "the North Campus" were subsequently abandoned and demolished in the late 1990s.

It is unknown how many deceased patients are buried on the hospital grounds, though over 900 death certificates exist denoting burial in both of the hospitals cemeteries.

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Anchorage, Kentucky

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. ^ Anchorage Asylum, The South Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) September 23, 1879, page 2, accessed October 20, 2016 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7101914/anchorage_asylum_the_south_kentuckian/
3. ^ Murderous Maddox, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) September 28, 1882, page 5, accessed October 20, 2016 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7101818/murderous_maddox_the_courierjournal/
4. ^ Anchorage Asylum, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) April 16, 1884, page 8, accessed October 20, 2016 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7102165/anchorage_asylum_the_courierjournal/

## External links

[edit]

* Asylum Projects website information and history on CSH
* Central State Hospital - Kentucky Historic Institutions

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The Kirkbride Plan

People|

| Physicians|

Thomas Story Kirkbride

|

Advocates|

Dorothea Dix

Architects|

* Samuel Sloan
* Elbridge Boyden
* Nathaniel Bradlee
* John G. Haskell
* Levi Scofield
* Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
* Richard Snowden Andrews

Notable buildings|

| Northeast|

* New Jersey State Hospital
* Harrisburg State Hospital
* Taunton State Hospital
* Northampton State Hospital
* Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital
* Dixmont State Hospital
* Hudson River State Hospital
* Danville State Hospital
* Buffalo State Hospital
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* Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
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Mid-Atlantic|

* St. Elizabeths Hospital
* Central State Hospital (Virginia)
* Spring Grove Hospital Center

Midwest|

* Central State Hospital (Indiana)
* Jacksonville State Hospital
* Dayton State Hospital
* Wisconsin State Hospital
* Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric Hospital
* Mount Pleasant State Hospital
* St. Peter State Hospital
* Anna State Hospital
* Elgin State Hospital
* Osawatomie State Hospital
* Topeka State Hospital
* Winnebago State Hospital
* Independence State Hospital
* Athens Lunatic Asylum
* Columbus State Hospital
* Eastern Michigan Asylum for the Insane
* Kankakee State Hospital
* Clarinda State Hospital
* Northern Michigan Asylum
* Nevada State Hospital
* Cherokee Mental Health Institute
* Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center

South|

* Western State Hospital
* Jackson State Hospital
* Austin State Hospital
* Bryce Hospital
* Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
* Central State Hospital (Kentucky)
* Broughton Hospital
* Arkansas State Hospital
* Terrell State Hospital

West Coast|

* Agnews State Hospital
* Eastern Oregon State Hospital
* Eastern Washington State Hospital
* Mendocino State Hospital
* Napa State Hospital
* Oregon State Hospital
* Patton State Hospital

Outside the U.S.|

* Nova Scotia Hospital
* Callan Park Hospital for the Insane

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