Public Hospital Museum, Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg is home to many buildings that depict life in early America. One of those is the Public Hospital Museum. The museum opened at 325 West Francis Street in June of 1985 and tells a story about the history of mental illness that goes back as far as 1773.

In was in October of 1773 that the first patient was admitted to what was then called the Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. The hospital was built at the encouragement of Virginia governor Francis Fauquier. He, like other modern men of his day, believed that mental illness could be cured if properly treated.

This was the first hospital of its kind in the country and the first publicly owned building in which the mentally ill were housed and treated.

Designed by Philadelphia architect Robert Smith, the brick building had 24 rudimentary cells, containing nothing more than a mattress and a chamber pot, to house patients whose care previously would been the responsibility of their family. Construction began in 1771 and took two years to complete. The cells each included an iron ring to which patients would be chained by either their ankle or their wrist.

In addition to the building, yards where the patients could spend time outdoors were also added. While the thought that mental illness could be treated is correct, the methods used in the 18th century were not effective.

"Treatments'' included the use of restraints, very strong medications and shock therapy. The hospital discharged about 20% of patients, listing them as cured. The staff did not include full-time doctors. Instead, visiting doctors would come by to check on patients. Cleaning and other building maintenance as well as kitchen duties were performed by slaves who were assigned to the hospital.

As the number of patients continued to increase, so did the size of the hospital. Additions were made until 1859 at which time there were 300 patients housed in 7 buildings.

Treatment had changed by that time as well. The hospital, then called the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, traded the restraints and shock therapy for gentle encouragement and work therapy.

In the late 1800's the building had fallen into disrepair and there were many reports of abusive staff at the hospital. James D. Moncure came on board as the reform superintendent. Shortly after his arrival at the hospital, a fire destroyed 6 buildings, including the original hospital. 224 patients were displaced by the fire.

The hospital, by then called Eastern State Hospital, was rebuilt and remained at that location until the 1960's. Then, the hospital moved to a different site and the land was donated to Colonial Williamsburg.

The Public Hospital Museum opened to the public in 1985 and is part of the Colonial Williamsburg tour. One visitor from Alabama said, "This hospital museum tells in a simple, respectful and meaningful way the trials and drama of caring for the mental illness during a time when little was really understood about such a disease. It shows the conditions of their rooms and the theories that evolved about treatment. Surprisingly, there were some ideas that seem to have been ahead of their times.''

A visit to the hospital takes about an hour and adds a new dimension to a visitor's view of Colonial Williamsburg.