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Eastern State Hospital

Eastern State Hospital

Eastern State Hospital

Eastern State Hospital

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One Place Study: Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY

This profile is part of the Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study.
{{One Place Study|place=Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky|category=Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study}}

Name

Eastern State Hospital
Eastern State Hospital in Earlier Years Courtesy of KYGenWeb:Naming the Forgotten
This institution has been known by many names in the past. While these terms are derogatory today, it was not considered offensive at the time.


{| style="padding:4pt;" width="99%"

| *Fayette Hospital (1817) || || *Kentucky Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1858) |- | *Lunatic Asylum (1822) | | *Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1864) |- | *Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1844) | | *Kentucky Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1867) |- | *Lunatic Asylum of Kentucky (1850) | | *First Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1873) |- | *Lunatic Asylum (1850) | | *Eastern Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1876) |- | *Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1852) | | *Eastern Kentucky Asylum for the Insane (1894) |- | *Eastern Lunatic Asylum of Kentucky (1855) | | *Eastern State Hospital (1912-present) |}

Geography

{| class="wikitable" style="padding:4pt;" width="80%"

|- ! ! |- | style="width:40%;" |Continent: North America | Country: United States |- | County: Fayette (Lexington) | GPS Coordinates: 38.0825, -84.497944 |- | State/Province: Kentucky | Elevation: ~236m / ~ 775feet |}

Eastern State Hospital in the 1960s Source: Wikimedia

History

Eastern State Hospital, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is the second oldest Psychiatric Hospital in the United States. It operates today as a psychiatric hospital with 239 beds providing inpatient care.

Population

  • In the Oct 1856 Report, there were 198 inmates (110 males, 88 females). Most were suffering from mania. The majority were from Kentucky and had an average age of 35.
  • In the 1900 US Census, there were 1022 people associated with the hospital. This included staff and patients. In 1910, the population increased to 1,227.

Notables

Patients
Staff
Others

Sources

Collaboration on Eastern State Hospital

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  • Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Tricia Aanderud and One Place Studies Project WikiTree. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
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Memories of Eastern State Hospital

Photos of Eastern State Hospital: 5

Eastern State Asylum Cemetery
(3/5) Eastern State Asylum Cemetery Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study. Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, United States 2007
Opening of Eastern State
(4/5) Opening of Eastern State Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study. Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, United States 1824
Eastern State Cemetery
(5/5) Eastern State Cemetery Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study. Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, United States


Comments on Eastern State Hospital: 3


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Dave Weppner
Admission records are available online. There also is a Facebook page for Kentucky Historic Hospitals that also may be helpful. It took me over a year to obtain what was available for my 2nd great grandmother, admitted in 1895 and died in 1898 at ESH. Alot of unnecessary red tape. The records are housed at the Kentucky Department of Libraries Archives in Frankfort. Only a state employee with Behavioral Health Dept can access them. Alot of waiting and excuses. Not every patient's records may have survived. The buildings have all since been demolished as of 2024 and the cemetery is a reminder for all buried there. All the graves but a handful are unmarked and no record exists of burials.

posted by Dave Weppner
edited by Dave Weppner

Tricia (Payne) Aanderud
>Only a state employee with Behavioral Health Dept

Do you just call or is there some other process?

posted by Tricia (Payne) Aanderud

Dave Weppner
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kyhistoricinstitutions/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

This is the link to the fb group. It contains alot of information and help. I was able to submit a request for records form to BHDID by email. That has changed, I believe you have to mail or drop off in person at their office. The State of Kentucky makes it hard to obtain these records. I was persistent and befriended a retired employee still with a connection to BHDID. Otherwise I'm not sure I would've got anywhere. If anyone reads these comments and is interested in trying to obtain a record, comment or message me, I'll try to assist to get you started.

The State of Kentucky was also less than forthcoming with help and information as a volunteer group worked at preserving the cemetery. It's unbelievable the horrific conditions of those asylums and what patients went thru. And it continues with the State's disregard for preserving and honoring remains at the cemetery and assistance with records for persons looking for loved ones. Come on, my 2x great grandmother died 126 years ago, I don't think privacy of those records should be made an issue. BHDID, Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.

posted by Dave Weppner
edited by Dave Weppner

Categories: One Place Studies | Community, Place Studies | Kentucky, Place Studies | Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky One Place Study | Lexington, Kentucky