Lunatic Asylum, the phrase in itself is discriminatory. The world lunatic has been derived from the moon and the phrase refers to the legend that insanity of the mentally ill increased to its peak as the moon became full. Throughout the history psychotic patients were discriminated as being under the affects of some evil spirit and inhuman and barbaric ways were adopted to extract the evil spirits. Even 20~30 years ago electric shock was the treatment of choice for any mental ailment. Notorious witch trials are very well known for the barbarity and utter senselessness, however most of the modern psychologists are of the view that women who were sacrificed were most probably just psychotics. Lunatic Asylums for mentally disturbed came very late in history; however the asylums paved the way of the reforms. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was built in 1860s to house some 200~300 mentally dysfunctional patients.

The building was one of its kinds. It was the largest mental institution in U.S and only second in the world after the Russian Asylum. As a result of Kirkbride propositions, Richard Andrews was assigned the take to come up with the design. The construction used hand cut stones but a separate building did not mean that the mentally disturbed were treated fairly. Barbaric ways were still very much the practice. About 60~70 years ago the building housed a whooping 2400 number of patients.

The large number of patients and the hospital itself brought prosperity to the town. As the facility was decommissioned in 1994 because of the advent of modern age of psychology and the building’s physical structure deteriorated, the area suffered economic depression.

The building can be visited and tour operators can schedule whole visit for your convenience.

Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum