Harrisburg State Hospital "City on the Hill"

If only walls could talk, what kind of stories would they tell us? If I went looking for any walls to talk to in the Keystone State, I’d want to start at the Harrisburg State Hospital.

Social Reformer Dorothea Dix helped lobby to get help for the mentally handicapped in the state. In 1845 the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Union Asylum for the Insane was founded. In 1848 the name was changed to the less controversial Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, after $50,000.00 was allotted to build. The hospital was completed in in1851, admitting its first patient on October 6^th, becoming the first Mental Hospital in the state.

The Kirkbride building was one of the first insane asylums in the United States using the Kirkbride Plan. Kirkbride was a Philadelphia Psychiatrist in the mid-1800’s, who advocated a system of mental asylum design. The asylums tended to be large with Victorian design.

The Kirkbride building seemed to suffer from poor construction as it only lasted approximately 50 years. Between 1893 and 1912 the hospital was rebuilt, going for the more popular cottage plan. This would consist of several small buildings connected with long partially submerged tunnels, as opposed to one large building.

In 1921 the hospital again changed names, this time more appropriately just the Harrisburg State Hospital. At the hospital’s peak, it consumed more than 1,000 acres and over 70 buildings, and held as many as 2,441 patients. During its lowest levels of employment, it was scary how disproportioned it was, with 1 nurse to 166 patients. The state hospital earned the nickname “City on the Hill” for its self-sufficient ways, including having its own farm, stores and even a power plant. In 1986, the hospital was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999 the site was used for the setting of the movie “Girl, Interrupted.” In fact, the administration sign that still hangs is a leftover from the film. On January 27, 2006 after 150 years of helping the mentally disabled, the doors were closed, though not completely. The state still uses the buildings as administrative offices.

Movie Trailer from "Girl, Interrupted"

Pennhurst "Haunted Asylum" My Thoughts

Even though the Pennhurst school and hospital closed in 1987 it is still not without controversy. This time the controversy isn't over mistreatment of patients, it's over the possibility that these former patients will be exploited.

The former institute is being renovated into a haunted attraction, this has caused quite a stir given Pennhurst's notorious past. Many fear how the scares will come and if they'll be at the expense of those with mental disabilities. But haven't we been doing that for years? Isn't anyone who murders someone being exploited for someone else personal gain? When a murder occurs in any small town what makes front page news? And every summer we flock to the big screens to watch the latest psychopath on the loose hacking everyone to bits. We find it entertaining! But do we find it to be exploiting to those with mental disabilities? A few may but I believe the majority doesn't. Point being we don't often associate Leatherface as someone with mental disabilities. I'm also not comparing the patients at Pennhurst with a fictional character such as Leatherface, but he is obviously psychologically challenged.

When a family member murders their entire family and themselves you always hear the whispers around town, " something was wrong with them" or "they weren't right in the head!" Yes, something was wrong! People don't murder each other when they have a stable mind. What I find the most horrifying is the way the system has failed those with mental disabilities the most.

I'm someone who will admit to having been a victim of the mental health care field. I can tell
you firsthand there's too much over medicating, not enough listening, and still too much prejudice against those who suffer. I often say a majority of society is closer to having a breakdown than they care to believe. Often times it just takes a traumatic circumstance in your life, or a past tragedy you still haven't properly dealt with. Mine came from a combination of both. Most of the medications prescribed to me often made me feel worse than I originally felt. I would personally rather feel depressed than to feel no emotion at all.

I'm not too sure of the intentions of the haunted attraction, though they are working with a psychiatrist  in order to remain sensitive to the disabled, I'm willing to give them a chance.
There are talks that the monies raised will be donated to charity's that care for the disabled, and will also go into helping to restore the legacy of Pennhurst.

In this day and age of instant technology, not all are too immersed in protecting or learning history. I feel if this is a way to generate interest in Pennhurst and help to preserve it for many other generations to learn from, than I'm all for it.

Though I would prefer that if instead of a guy in a hockey mask wielding a chainsaw, how about a terrifying doctor chasing victims down attempting to strap them into an adult crib, and inject them with Thorazine.