Western State Hospital (Virginia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Western State Hospital, called Western State Lunatic Asylum in its early years, is a hospital for the mentally ill in Staunton, Virginia, which originally began operations in 1828. The hospital was renamed Western State Hospital in 1894. The facility was infamous for its practices of eugenics during the 1930s under then-director Joseph DeJarnette.

In its early days, the facility was a resort-style asylum. It had terraced gardens where patients could plant flowers and take walks, roof walks to provide mountain views, and many architectural details to create an atmosphere that would aid in the healing process.

Western State vacated the property in the 1970s when the hospital moved to its present site near Interstate 81. The original facility was then converted to the Staunton Correctional Center, a medium-security men's penitentiary.