Architecture and Mental Health Treatment: A Look Back at St. Elizabeths in Washington, D.C.

St. Elizabeths, founded in 1855, began as an American model of mental health care. The first patient building, the Center Building, was constructed for white patients in the then-popular Kirkbride style, with wings extending from a central core to prioritize needs for people needing different stages of care. The campus expanded throughout its first century, hitting its peak population in the 1950s. Later construction went in different directions, including the Cottage Style and culminating in institutional, high-rise construction when the population became overwhelming and funding was low. St. Elizabeths, as the nation's first, and for some of its history the only, federal mental health hospital, provides a clear look at the changing nature of the US government's role in providing mental health care for its citizens.For more information go tohttps://history.nih.gov/Air date: 6/24/2021 12:00:00 PM
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