The Lost Kirkbrides: Manhattan State Hospital
Friday, December 11th, 2009
A short while ago, asylum aficionado Ian Ference clued me in on a Kirkbride building I was unaware of. Surprisingly, the slightly modified Kirkbride plan building pictured above was located in Manhattan! Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of images of the building online. The best I’ve seen so far are located here: aerial photos (look near the curve of the bridge) — although those sadly don’t reveal the entire building.
Founded in 1863, the hospital was originally called the New York City Asylum for the Insane and stood on Ward’s Island as part of a larger hospital complex predominantly serving newly arrived immigrants. When the State Department of Mental Hygiene took over its administration in 1899, it became Manhattan State Hospital. When exactly the Kirkbride was built I don’t yet know. However, Mr Ference has confirmed that the building no longer stands.
