Pennsylvania Department Of Public Welfare

Harrisburg State Hospital, formerly known as Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, was Pennsylvania's first public facility dedicated to caring for the mentally ill and disabled. Operating from 1851 to 2006, the hospital's campus on Cameron and Maclay Streets housed patients from across the state, offering board, medical attention, and work therapy on its 183-acre farm. Under the guidance of social reformer Dorothea Dix, the hospital expanded over the years, adopting new architectural styles and increasing its capacity to over 2,000 patients. Renamed Harrisburg State Hospital in 1921, it became self-sufficient with its own farm, power plant, and stores, earning the nickname "the City" within its walls.Generated from the website