Day 5 brought us to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (as it was known when it was a functioning asylum). The asylum was constructed between 1851 and 1881 and was operational through 1994. It is the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in North America, and is second in the world only to the Kremlin!
The welcoming entrance to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The tour took us through the wards…
This is the ward for people with addictions (photo courtesy of Kieran)
The solitary lockdown area…
You could be put into solitary by request of anyone NOT being currently treated in the asylum. (photo courtesy of Jenn)
And the forensics ward where the most dangerous patients were housed…
This building has only one entrance/exit. This made it secure for the patients… but also more dangerous for the staff (photo courtesy of Alissa W)
The asylum was built to house 250 people, however in the height of operation in the 60s it was severely overcrowded and was home to 2,500 people! We also learned about the different treatments administered throughout the years, which included aqua therapy (not as pleasant as it sounds), insulin shock therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and lobotomies.
You may be wondering, how could a person end up in the Trans Allegheny asylum? Check out the list below to see if you would have been committed!
Do you belong in the Trans Allegheny Asylum? (photo courtesy of Alyssa C)
