Richmond State Hospital

History

History of Richmond State Hospital
The site for the quotEastern Indiana Hospital for the Insanequot now known as Richmond State Hospital of approximately 307 acres was purchased in 1878 Construction started in 1884 and was completed in 1890 While the Indiana legislature had authorized the establishment of a quothospital for the insanequot as early as 1827 the doors of the Indiana Hospital for the Insane later renamed Central State Hospital did not open until 1848 Information on Central State Hospital and the early years of state hospitals in Indiana can be found at Indiana Commission on Public Records State Archives Divisions website on Central State Hospital

At Richmond between 1887 and 1890 three of the completed buildings were occupied by quotThe School for Feeble Minded Youthquot In 1890 these patients were transferred to what is now known as the quotFort Wayne Developmental Centerquot The buildings were refurbished and the hospital formally opened on July 29 1890 with the first patient admitted on August 4 1890

The hospital buildings were constructed on the quotcottage planquot in order to prevent any quotdisastrous conflagrationquot and provide for immediate evacuation of a small number of persons in case of fire There are many interesting architectural details in the older buildings including exterior cupolas interior detailing such as intricate railings and stained glass

Although the general layout followed the cottage plan the main administration building with adjacent buildings extending like wings is very similar to the quotKirkbridequot plan which was the model for many quotasylumsquot constructed during this era See wwwkirkbridebuildings for further information on Dr Kirkbride and the Kirkbride design The Hospital has had a number of names through the years including East Indiana Asylum for the Insane East Indiana Hospital for the Insane and finally Richmond State Hospital Although it was never an official name it was long referred to as quotEast Haven

The post card images below all bear inscriptions which include an quotEast Havenquot designation Apparently post cards of various quotasylumsquot were once common Click on the images below to see larger post card photos and drawings of the early years of Richmond State Hospital

In 1911 the quotColony Actquot was passed and additional acreage was purchased to allow patients to work the farmlands Richmond was selected to be the parent institution for this type of treatment The five farms acquired were christened quotWayne Farmsquot The local arboretum furnished the names Cedar Maple Pine etc Male patients with a agricultural background were placed in the colonies Their productive efforts were realized in many ways but specifically through ribbons and prizes received from the exhibits of cattle and farm products at the Wayne County Fair as well as the Indiana State Fair

On May 16 1927 the hospitals name was changed from quot Eastern Indiana Hospital for the Insanequot to quot Richmond State Hospitalquot

Located on the grounds is the Klepfer All Faiths Chapel Financed entirely by donations from the community the chapel was named in honor of Dr Jefferson Klepfer MD who served as superintendent from 1953 to 1976

Through the years many changes have occurred In 1980 Richmond State Hospital was certified for MedicareMedicaid patients and in 1986 the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredited the hospital

In addition to serving the mentally ill the hospital provides programming for adolescents with behavior disorders and for dually diagnosed individuals with both mental retardation and mental illness

To better serve the patients who require continued treatment the hospital has programs geared to the needs of individuals with persistent and severe mental disorders and the older person with mental illness Richmond State Hospital provides services to patients from the Community Mental Health Centers in East Central and Northeast Indiana Many patients come from larger urban settings but many of the patients continue to be from small rural communities

Two of the newer buildings that comprise Richmond State Hospital are the 192bed Residential Treatment Center and the food Preparation Center Both were completed in 1991 all of the hospital building are on a 120acre campus that has been developed into a parklike setting with beautiful trees shrubs copious flower beds and a pond

After more than 100 years of providing mental health services Richmond State Hospital continues the commitment to meet the needs of our changing population The primary goal of the hospital continues to be to plan for and in cooperation with other care providers develop and deliver a comprehensive and integrated system of mental health services of superior quality