State Capital Kirkbride Hospital

This asylum opened in 1840, located in the capital city of a large New England state. The hospital initially served 120 patients from across the state. After a fire gutted half the hospital and killed 27 patients in 1850, the hospital slowly expanded to become more than 800 acres with 600 acres of farmland. In the 1940's and 50's, the hospital saw its most populated years with 1,837 patients (30% over its capacity). An entirely new state-funded psychiatric facility was constructed to replace the old state hospital in 2004. This would be the year that the State Capital Kirkbride would close. Many buildings on campus are used by various state agencies while the main building remains vacant and awaiting reuse.