The Western North Carolina Insane Asylum- later to be known as Broughton- opened in Morganton, North Carolina in 1883. It was a massive, sweeping brick manor located on a 263 acre plot.
It was originally built after Dorthea Dix directly worked to influence the General Assembly of North Carolina to appropriate funds for such an infrastructure to house the mentally ill.
People of varying races, both male and female, and including school-aged patients, were committed there. People from all social strata made their way to the institution by means of voluntary and involuntary committal. In its early days, the Asylum served people from 53 counties in North Carolina.
For a brief time, the facilities
took on what was known as the “colony approach”, where farm-style houses were
built so that some of those committed could live in a more home-like
environment, and a number of community activities existed. Beginning in the
1920’s, and over the years, many other facilities and features were added to
the layout of the asylum. The institution even hosted socials for others in the
outside community at one point.
Despite the grand facilities, the addition of client
specific wards (such as men’s and women’s tb wards) and an amusement hall,
things were rather unpleasant for many of the residents and employees for some
time. Firstly, since its original
opening, male patients did much of the arduous construction of roads around the
facilities. Clark Cahow, who wrote extensively about the hospital, also summarized
other problems with the Asylum, describing “insufficient and poorly trained
staff”, and “overworked professional personnel,” with “inadequate facilities”.
The patient numbers were around 300 patients per doctor, and 13 patients for 1
staff. Nurses worked 15 hour shifts, often 7 days a week, and were poorly paid.
It is no wonder that the conditions were then found to be so deplorable by Jim
Tomison, a prominent lawyer and activist who had checked himself into the institution
in 1940. A newspaper later published a series of articles describing the
conditions there. An anonymous woman coauthored the articles with Tomison; she
was from a prominent family and had been admitted due to a nervous condition.
They described the conditions as terrible. There were rats, roaches, and
frequently guests with TB mingled with the others. Patients aimlessly milled
about their wards, often screaming in agony. Overall, it seemed as though the
patients were not getting the care that they needed.
In the 1960’s, there came a concerted period of deinstitutionalization, and funds and facilities were created to decrease patient density, and to work to release people to the community. An educational facility was also opened for school-aged children in the 1960’s. The Asylum is still active, and is today known as Broughton.
In the 1960’s, there came a concerted period of deinstitutionalization, and funds and facilities were created to decrease patient density, and to work to release people to the community. An educational facility was also opened for school-aged children in the 1960’s. The Asylum is still active, and is today known as Broughton.
All of these hospitals have so much in common based on a growing need for mental health services and deplorable conditions when there are more patients that can be treated efficiently at one location. The facility is lucky to have finally gotten funds to help create programs focused on releasing people into the community is a great goal to have with all patients to help provide hope and help in their recovery.
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