Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, hospital in New Jersey, United States
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital is a state-run mental health facility in Trenton and Ewing, New Jersey, operating since the 19th century. The complex follows the Kirkbride Plan, with wings extending from a central building to allow light and air to reach patient areas.
The facility opened in 1848 as New Jersey's first public hospital for mental health, originally named the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum. In the early 20th century, Dr. Henry Cotton introduced controversial surgical treatments that resulted in death and injury for hundreds of patients, continuing until the 1960s.
The hospital name recalls a time when mental illness was often misunderstood and patients lived in isolation. Today, visitors see the old buildings behind the fence, standing as a symbol of changing attitudes and the long struggle for dignity and respect for people with mental health challenges.
The grounds are not open to visitors, but you can view the building exteriors from the surrounding fence. The area is suitable for a short walk if you are interested in historical medical architecture and the history of mental health treatment.
Dorothea Dix, who founded the hospital, lived in a cottage on the grounds during her later years because this facility was especially important to her. The building was the very first designed on the Kirkbride Plan, a model later adopted by many mental health institutions across America.
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