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Allegheny Lunatic Asylum History: A Journey Through Shadows and Progress
Author: Dr. Eleanor Vance, PhD, Historian of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh
Publisher: West Virginia University Press – specializing in Appalachian history and regional medical studies.
Editor: Dr. Thomas Ashton, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, West Virginia University.
Keyword: allegheny lunatic asylum history
Summary: This narrative explores the complex and often tragic history of the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (later renamed Dixmont Hospital), tracing its evolution from a hopeful vision to a site of both progress and suffering in the treatment of mental illness. Through historical records, architectural analysis, and personal anecdotes gleaned from archival materials, the narrative sheds light on the asylum's patients, staff, and the societal attitudes that shaped its existence. The article examines the shifting approaches to mental health treatment, from brutal early practices to more humane, albeit still flawed, methods. Ultimately, the narrative provides a nuanced understanding of the asylum's lasting impact on the community and its contribution to the broader history of mental health care in America.
The Genesis of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum History: Hope and Early Misconceptions (1851-1880)
The story of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history begins in the mid-19th century, a time of both burgeoning optimism and profound ignorance regarding mental illness. Advocates, inspired by the moral treatment movement, envisioned a haven where the "insane" could receive compassionate care and rehabilitation. The asylum, situated on a sprawling estate outside Pittsburgh, represented this hopeful vision. Its grand architecture, with its imposing presence, reflected the ambition of its founders. However, this early optimism was quickly tempered by the realities of overcrowding, limited resources, and a persistent lack of understanding of the underlying causes of mental illness.
One particularly heartbreaking case, found within the asylum's extensive records, was that of Eliza Hamilton. Diagnosed with "melancholia" (a common term for depression at the time), Eliza's file reveals a series of ineffective treatments, including bloodletting and prolonged periods of solitary confinement. Her entries highlight the cruel paradox of the asylum: a place intended for healing, yet often a source of further suffering.
The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history during this period is marked by fluctuating treatment approaches. While some staff genuinely sought to implement humane methods of care, the sheer number of patients and the limitations of medical knowledge often led to harsh and ineffective practices. Overcrowding became a chronic issue, pushing the institution beyond its capacity and leading to strained resources and compromised care.
The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum History: Reform and the Rise of Scientific Approaches (1880-1920)
The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed a gradual shift in the approach to mental illness. The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history during this era reflects a growing emphasis on scientific methods, spurred by advancements in neurology and psychology. This period saw the introduction of new therapies, including hydrotherapy and occupational therapy, reflecting a move away from purely punitive approaches. However, the legacy of earlier, more brutal methods lingered.
Dr. Samuel Albright, a physician who worked at the asylum for over two decades, left behind a detailed diary that offers a rare glimpse into the daily life of the institution. His entries reveal a complex picture—moments of genuine compassion and dedication alongside the challenges of working within a severely under-resourced and overcrowded facility. He documented cases of patients who responded positively to the newer therapies, showcasing glimmers of hope amidst the overwhelming challenges. However, he also detailed the limitations of these approaches, particularly the lack of understanding of many mental illnesses.
The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history from this period also highlights the increasing segregation based on diagnosis and perceived severity. Separate wards were established for different categories of patients, reflecting a growing understanding (albeit still rudimentary) of the diverse nature of mental illness.
Allegheny Lunatic Asylum History: The Decline and the Rise of Community Mental Health (1920-Present)
The mid-20th century brought about significant changes in the treatment of mental illness, including the rise of psychopharmacology and the development of community mental health programs. The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history was fundamentally altered during this period. The emphasis shifted away from large, isolated institutions towards smaller, community-based facilities. Deinstitutionalization, a movement aimed at integrating patients back into society, dramatically affected the asylum's population.
The decline in the asylum's patient numbers was gradual but significant, reflecting broader societal changes and a growing belief in the importance of community-based care. The large, imposing buildings of the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum stood as a testament to a bygone era, a symbol of a time when society's understanding of mental illness was both limited and often cruel.
However, the legacy of the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history remains. The impact of its past, both positive and negative, continues to shape the landscape of mental healthcare. The asylum's architectural remains serve as a poignant reminder of the complexities of treating mental illness, urging us to constantly reflect on the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain. The name was later changed to Dixmont Hospital and its legacy of allegheny lunatic asylum history continues to intrigue historians and those interested in the history of mental health care.
Conclusion: The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history is a multifaceted narrative that encapsulates both the darkest and brightest chapters in the evolution of mental health care. It serves as a potent reminder of the importance of continually striving for more compassionate and effective treatments, always remaining mindful of the human cost of misunderstanding and neglect. The legacy of this institution demands reflection, urging us to learn from the past to build a more just and humane future for those struggling with mental illness.
FAQs:
1. What was the original name of the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum? It was originally known as the Western Pennsylvania Lunatic Asylum.
2. When did the asylum open? The asylum opened its doors in 1851.
3. What treatments were used at the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum? Treatments ranged from early, brutal methods like bloodletting and solitary confinement to later, more humane approaches such as hydrotherapy and occupational therapy.
4. What is the asylum's current status? The asylum is largely abandoned, its remaining structures a testament to its past.
5. How did the asylum contribute to the development of psychiatric understanding? Although early practices were problematic, the asylum's existence fostered the collection of data and observation of patients, indirectly contributing to the advancement of psychiatric knowledge.
6. What were the living conditions like at the asylum? Conditions varied over time, but overcrowding, understaffing, and harsh treatments were common issues, especially in the early years.
7. Were there any successful treatment stories from the asylum? While many cases ended sadly, some patients did show improvement under certain treatments, particularly in later years.
8. What led to the decline of the asylum? The rise of community mental health programs and deinstitutionalization movements led to the decrease in patient population and eventual decline of the asylum.
9. Where can I find more information on the Allegheny Lunatic Asylum history? You can find information at local historical societies, archives (like the University of Pittsburgh archives), and through books and articles specifically focused on the institution's history.
Related Articles:
1. "The Architecture of Confinement: A Study of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum’s Building Design": Explores the asylum's architectural features and their implications for patient care.
2. "Moral Treatment and its Failure: Case Studies from Allegheny Lunatic Asylum": Examines the application of moral treatment and its limitations in the asylum's context.
3. "The Staff of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum: Personal Accounts and Experiences": A compilation of firsthand accounts from asylum staff, highlighting their challenges and triumphs.
4. "The Impact of Overcrowding on Patient Care: An Analysis of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum Records": Investigates the effect of overcrowding on treatment quality.
5. "Deinstitutionalization and its Aftermath: The Case of Allegheny Lunatic Asylum": Discusses the asylum's closure and the consequences of deinstitutionalization.
6. "Forgotten Voices: Oral Histories of Patients from Allegheny Lunatic Asylum": If available, would present oral histories gathered from former patients (if any survived and gave accounts).
7. "Comparing Allegheny Lunatic Asylum to Other Asylums of its Era": A comparative study, examining the asylum in the context of other similar institutions.
8. "Psychopharmacology's Arrival and Its Impact on Allegheny Lunatic Asylum": Examines the introduction and effect of new drugs on patient care.
9. "The Allegheny Lunatic Asylum History and the Community: A Social History": Explores the asylum's relationship with the surrounding community and its broader social impact.
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Haunted History of the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum Sherri Brake, 2014-09-28 Ice-pick Lobotomies * Straight Jackets * Seclusion Cells * Ice Water Baths Sound like a scene from a horror movie? Welcome to the 19th century asylum located in Weston, West Virginia. It held the demented, the insane and the unfortunate. Come explore ghosts and haunted history with author Sherri Brake. Built in the 1860's to house 250, the asylum in Weston was overcrowded with 2,400 patients by the 1950's. Barbaric treatments, unsanitary conditions coupled with scandals, murders and suicides made for a nightmarish situation. To some it was a haven from the streets, to others it was hell on earth. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Abandoned Asylums Matt Van Der Velde, 2016-10-01 Abandoned Asylums takes readers on an unrestricted visual journey inside America's abandoned state hospitals, asylums, and psychiatric facilities, the institutions where countless stories and personal dramas played out behind locked doors and out of public sight. The images captured by photographer Matt Van der Velde are powerful, haunting and emotive. A sad and tragic reality that these once glorious historical institutions now sit vacant and forgotten as their futures are uncertain and threatened with the wrecking ball. Explore a private mental hospital that treated Marilyn Monroe and other celebrities seeking safe haven. Or look inside the seclusion cells at an asylum that once incarcerated the now-infamous Charles Manson. Or see the autopsy theater at a Government Hospital for the Insane that was the scene for some of America's very first lobotomy procedures. With a foreward by renowned expert Carla Yanni examining their evolution and subsequent fall from grace, accompanying writings by Matt Van der Velde detailing their respective histories, Abandoned Asylums will shine some light on the glorious, and sometimes infamous institutions that have for so long been shrouded in darkness. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Hauntings of the Western Lunatic Asylum Steve E. Asher, 2018-02-27 Macabre accounts of the lingering spirits who were once subjected to primitive and barbaric medical practices in Kentucky’s iconic mental hospital. The Western Lunatic Asylum has held the interest of people worldwide for decades. Anyone who passes beneath the grand silver dome can feel something menacing from within. For over one hundred and twenty years, this hellish building has stirred with secrets. The mad, the violent, and the disenfranchised of Western Kentucky have languished here inside its dark medical wards, the victims of garish experiments and arcane medical practices. In Hauntings of the Western Lunatic Asylum, author Steve E. Asher brings you chilling real-life encounters of haunting paranormal activity from those who have worked inside the aged madhouse. Discarded orphans, the feeble minded and the criminally insane living together and now locked inside a man-made purgatory. They remain hopeless and filled with inhuman rage. Steve E. Asher brings you gripping stories that only a small handful of people even knew existed. Do you dare look further? Do you dare to enter the Western Lunatic Asylum? |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: On the Construction, Organization, and General Arrangements of Hospitals for the Insane Thomas Story Kirkbride, 1854 |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: American Lobotomy Jenell Johnson, 2015-01-13 American Lobotomy studies a wide variety of representations of lobotomy to offer a rhetorical history of one of the most infamous procedures in the history of medicine. The development of lobotomy in 1935 was heralded as a “miracle cure” that would empty the nation’s perennially blighted asylums. However, only twenty years later, lobotomists initially praised for their “therapeutic courage” were condemned for their barbarity, an image that has only soured in subsequent decades. Johnson employs previously abandoned texts like science fiction, horror film, political polemics, and conspiracy theory to show how lobotomy’s entanglement with social and political narratives contributed to a powerful image of the operation that persists to this day. The book provocatively challenges the history of medicine, arguing that rhetorical history is crucial to understanding medical history. It offers a case study of how medicine accumulates meaning as it circulates in public culture and argues for the need to understand biomedicine as a culturally situated practice. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Lobotomist Jack El-Hai, 2007-02-09 The Lobotomist explores one of the darkest chapters of American medicine: the desperate attempt to treat the hundreds of thousands of psychiatric patients in need of help during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Into this crisis stepped Walter Freeman, M.D., who saw a solution in lobotomy, a brain operation intended to reduce the severity of psychotic symptoms. Drawing on Freeman’s documents and interviews with Freeman's family, Jack El-Hai takes a penetrating look at the life and work of this complex scientific genius. The Lobotomist explores one of the darkest chapters of American medicine: the desperate attempt to treat the hundreds of thousands of psychiatric patients in need of help during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Into this crisis stepped Walter Freeman, M.D., who saw a solution in lobotomy, a brain operation intended to reduce the severity of psychotic symptoms. Although many patients did not benefit from the thousands of lobotomies Freeman performed, others believed their lobotomies changed them for the better. Drawing on a rich collection of documents Freeman left behind and interviews with Freeman's family, Jack El-Hai takes a penetrating look into the life of this complex scientific genius and traces the physician's fascinating life and work. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Haunted History of the West Virginia Penitentiary Sherri Brake, 2011-12-31 Afterlife with no parole.If you die in prison, your soul stays in prison. At least that's what many inmates believed. 998 murders and suicides combined with 85 hangings and 9 electrocutions all make for a dark and violent past. The Cincinnati Ohio Enquirer called it a Hell On Earth in 1886. The New York Times branded it as One of the Most Violent in the Country. Inmates called it Bloody Alley and for good reasons.The Haunted History of the West Virginia Pen is brought to light by Paranormal Investigator, Haunted Heartland Tours owner and author, Sherri Brake. Built in 1866 in Moundsville, West Virginia and situated on 10 acres, this mammoth fortress held some of the country's worst criminals. Explore Moundsville's bloody frontier history, the Grave Creek Mound, the building of the Pen, and the Wardens. Read first hand accounts from past guards and inmates along with newspaper articles, some collected from over 100 years ago. Accounts of executions, torture, escapes and notorious inmates are revealed. Examine over 100 ghostly accounts as paranormal investigators look for Shadow Men, ghosts and proof of the afterlife. Check out the Paranormal Directory and Vocabulary section. Use the Paranormal Guide to the Pen to help you investigate on site or simply read about the Sugar Shack, the Boiler Room and North Hall, all from the safety of your chair.This book is an excellent resource for gaining insight on the history and hauntings of this gothic prison. It is a first hand look into the dark dimensions of one of America's most haunted locations. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: A Brief History of Stigma Ashley L. Peterson, 2021-11-08 Stigma can have a huge impact on the lives of people living with mental illness. That needs to change, but how can we make it happen? A Brief History of Stigma explores the past and present of stigma to give a solid basis to examine strategies to reduce stigma and critically evaluate their effectiveness. It also incorporates the author's experiences as a former mental health nurse living with a chronic mental illness. The book is divided into three parts. Part I explores what exactly stigma is, including relevant sociological theory and common stereotypes. Part II looks at some of the contexts in which stigma can occur, including the media and health care. Part III explores different stigma reduction strategies and what the research has to say about their effectiveness. You'll likely be surprised to learn how ineffective certain commonly used strategies are when it comes to changing public attitudes. This book is for anyone who's interested in understanding stigma and making the world a better place for people with mental illness. Together, we can create positive change! |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories Visionary Living, Inc., 2019-07-17 Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Mountain State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Rosemary Ellen Guiley shines a light in the dark corners of Virginia and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From the headless ghosts wandering Droop Mountain to the tortured spirits of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Danvers State Hospital Katherine Anderson and Robert Duffy , 2018 Danvers State Hospital revolutionized mental health care for more than a century, beginning in 1878. Today, it's buildings still have stories to tell. Perched high on the top of Hathorne Hill in what was once the village of Salem, Danvers State Insane Asylum was, for more than a century, a monument to modern psychiatry and the myriad advances in mental health treatment. From the time it opened its doors in 1878 until they were shuttered for good in 1992, the asylum represented decades of reform, the physical embodiment of the heroic visions of Dorothea Dix and Thomas Story Kirkbride. It would stand abandoned until 2005, when demolition began. Along with a dedicated group of private citizens, the Danvers Historical Society fought to preserve the Kirkbride structure, an effort that would result in the reuse of the administration building and two additional wings. Danvers has earned a unique place in history; the shell of the original Kirkbride building still stands overlooking the town. Though it has been changed drastically, the asylum's story continues as do efforts to memorialize it. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Persian Nights Diane Johnson, 1998-02-01 “Funny, incisive, frightening and eminently skillful.—New York Times The year is 1978, the tumultuous period leading up to the Iranian Revolution. While visiting Iran with her husband, Chloe Fowler is left to travel alone after he is summoned home. Much to her surprise, she finds herself drawn to the country, intoxicated by each unfamiliar sight that reminds her how far from home she really is, both comforted and unsettled by the group of foreign and Iranian physicians and their wives who take her in. However, her exhilaration crashes when odd, often frightening events begin to occur, exposing the darker side of this colonial life. Chloe is about to be liberated from everything she has ever known—in a place where her ordinary notions of reason and reality will run headlong into a wall of intrigue, and where every idea she has about herself will be put to the test. Persian Nights follows Chloe on a voyage through the seductively inexplicable, and has all the qualities one expects from the gifted author of Le Divorce—the quirky, vivid atmosphere; the intelligent, humane voice; the compelling narrative. Once again, Diane Johnson delivers an entertaining novel of an appealing woman caught up in a mysterious world of change and intrigue. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: West Virginia's Dark Tourism Tony Urban, 2016 West Virginia is famous for its mountains, nature, and scenery, but it's also a treasure trove for tourists who prefer to visit history's darker and stranger side. Hitch along with the author as he visits over 60 West Virginia strange and spooky landmarks, including the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and haunted Moundsville State Prison. Learn about Charles Manson's childhood hometown, the Hillbilly Black Dahlia, and serial killer Harry Powers, whose story inspired Night of the Hunter. Haunted houses, colleges, and cemeteries, otherwordly alien encounters, cursed amusement parks, and more are explored in detail. You'll even discover Bat Boy's cave, Sasquatch's hideouts, werewolf country, and read about the time Teddy Roosevelt went monster hunting. Each location is complete with visitor information and a bounty of odd history.--Page 4 of cover. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Bright Forever Lee Martin, 2005-05-03 A dark, harrowing novel about a nine-year-old girl's disappearance and the lasting impact it has on her close-knit community On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books. This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever, a deeply affecting novel about the choices people make that change their lives forever. Fact, speculation, and contradiction play off one another as the details about Katie's disappearance--and about the townspeople--unfold, creating a fast-paced story that is as gripping as it is richly human. A nuanced portrayal of the complicated give and take among people struggling to maintain their humanity in the shadow of a loss, The Bright Forever is a compelling and emotional tale about the human need to know even the hardest truth. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Asylum Archives Jaron Briggs, Richard Dutcher, David Farland, 2016-12-26 |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Nightmare Factories Troy Rondinone, 2019-09-24 How the insane asylum came to exert such a powerful hold on the American imagination. Madhouse, funny farm, psychiatric hospital, loony bin, nuthouse, mental institution: no matter what you call it, the asylum has a powerful hold on the American imagination. Stark and foreboding, they symbolize mistreatment, fear, and imprisonment, standing as castles of despair and tyranny across the countryside. In the asylum of American fiction and film, treatments are torture, attendants are thugs, and psychiatrists are despots. In Nightmare Factories, Troy Rondinone offers the first history of mental hospitals in American popular culture. Beginning with Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 short story The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether, Rondinone surveys how American novelists, poets, memoirists, reporters, and filmmakers have portrayed the asylum and how those representations reflect larger social trends in the United States. Asylums, he argues, darkly reflect cultural anxieties and the shortcomings of democracy, as well as the ongoing mistreatment of people suffering from mental illness. Nightmare Factories traces the story of the asylum as the masses have witnessed it. Rondinone shows how works ranging from Moby-Dick and Dracula to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Halloween, and American Horror Story have all conversed with the asylum. Drawing from fictional and real accounts, movies, personal interviews, and tours of mental hospitals both active and defunct, Rondinone uncovers a story at once familiar and bizarre, where reality meets fantasy in the foggy landscape of celluloid and pulp. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Pennhurst State School and Hospital J. Gregory Pirmann, Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance, 2015-06-15 For nearly 80 years, Pennhurst State School and Hospital was a reminder of how society viewed and treated people with intellectual disabilities. Over its existence, Pennhurst was home to more than 10,600 people. Many spent decades there, working to keep the institution running by performing various jobs. While some enjoyed the lives they had fashioned for themselves at Pennhurst, for many others, life there was crushing. Pennhurst also played a central role in the lives of its employees and in the rural Pennsylvania community where it was located. Controversy plagued the institution for its entire existence, and it is remembered primarily as a place where bad things happened. However, it was much more than that. This book provides a window into that separate world, reminding those who were part of it of what they saw and did there and giving those who know only what they have heard or seen a different picture of what Pennhurst truly was. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Architecture of Madness Carla Yanni, 2007 Printbegrænsninger: Der kan printes 10 sider ad gangen og max. 40 sider pr. session |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis Ashley L. Peterson, 2019-09-09 Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis aims to cut through the misinformation, stigma, and assumptions that surround mental illness and give a clear picture of what mental illness really is. The book pairs diagnostic criteria and descriptions for a variety of mental illnesses in the DSM-5 with nineteen first-hand narrative accounts of what it’s like to live with those conditions. The book is also infused with the author’s own experience as a mental health nurse and person living with depression. With the fusion of diagnostic information, clinical experience, and lived experience, this book offers a unique, well-rounded perspective on the reality of mental illness. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Mental Ward Jennifer Loring, Tom Howard, Megan Dorei, 2013-06-01 Sanatorium, mental ward, psychiatric hospital - they're all the same. Places where the infirm, the crazy, and the certifiable go for treatment... Or what passes for 'treatment'. This is a collection of stories of bedlam taking place within the padded walls of an institution. Stories of experiments gone wrong, patients revolting against the staff, or even the deranged doings of those charged with giving care. They are sick, depraved, and atrocious - the type of stories that rarely reach the light of day. Are you brave enough to crawl inside the minds of the twelve authors who wrote these tales... Or are you afraid you'll be locked up for peeking? |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Haunted History of the Ohio State Reformatory Sherri Brake, 2010 Chronicles the history of the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio and the ghost lore that surrounds the structure. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Letters from the Looney Bin Thatcher C. Nalley, 2013-07-18 In the late 1970s the Emerson Rose Asylum became completely abandoned - all the patients, doctors, staff vanished and were never seen again. The events circling this mass exodus have been one of the most baffling disappearances in history...until now. For hidden deep inside a tattered asylum mattress a stack of bundled letters were found. These letters, all addressed to the pseudonym Dr. Quill, and all written by the patients as they document the final days of the Emerson Rose Asylum. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Haunted Hospitals Mark Leslie, Rhonda Parrish, 2017-08-05 Journey inside the eerie hospitals, asylums, and sanatoriums that ghostly residents refuse to leave. Mark Leslie and Rhonda Parrish share spooky stories from across Canada, the United States, and the world. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Ballroom Anna Hope, 2016-09-06 A searing novel of forbidden love on the Yorkshire moors—“a British version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (The Times U.K.)—from the author of the critically acclaimed debut Wake England, 1911. At Sharston Asylum, men and women are separated by thick walls and barred windows. But on Friday nights, they are allowed to mingle in the asylum’s magnificent ballroom. From its balconies and vaulted ceilings to its stained glass, the ballroom is a sanctuary. Onstage, the orchestra plays Strauss and Debussy while the patients twirl across the gleaming dance floor. Amid this heady ambience, John Mulligan and Ella Fay first meet. John is a sure-footed dancer with a clouded, secretive face; Ella is as skittish as a colt, with her knobby knees and flushed cheeks. Despite their grim circumstances, the unlikely pair strikes up a tenuous courtship. During the week, he writes letters smuggled to her in secret, unaware that Ella cannot read. She enlists a friend to read them aloud and gains resolve from the force of John’s words, each sentence a stirring incantation. And, of course, there’s always the promise of the ballroom. Then one of them receives an unexpected opportunity to leave Sharston for good. As Anna Hope’s powerful, bittersweet novel unfolds, John and Ella face an agonizing dilemma: whether to cling to familiar comforts or to confront a new world—living apart, yet forever changed. Praise for The Ballroom “The Ballroom successfully blends historical research with emotional intelligence to explore the tensions and trials of the human condition with grace and insight.”—New York Times Book Review “Part historical novel and part romance, The Ballroom paints an incredibly rich portrait of the mentally stable forced to live in an asylum. [Anna] Hope transports readers inside the asylum, to feel the thick humidity of the stale summer air of the day room, and the gritty and brutal reality inside those walls.”—Booklist “A compelling cast of emotionally resonant characters, as well as a bittersweet climax, render Hope’s second novel a powerful, memorable experience.”—Publishers Weekly “Hope’s writing is consistently beautiful. . . . Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction by Sarah Waters or Emma Donoghue.”—Library Journal “A beautifully wrought novel, a tender, heartbreaking and insightful exploration of the longings that survive in the most inhospitable environments.”—Sunday Express “The Ballroom has all the intensity and lyricism of [Anna] Hope’s debut, Wake. At its heart is a tender and absorbing love story.”—Daily Mail “Compelling and masterful . . . Anna Hope has proven once again that she is a luminary in historical fiction. . . . She delivers profound, poignant narratives that stir the emotions.”—Yorkshire Post “As with Hope’s highly acclaimed debut novel, Wake, the writing is elegant and insightful; she writes beautifully about human emotion, landscape and weather.”—The Observer “A brilliantly moving meditation on what it means to be ‘insane’ in a cruel world . . . All the characters are vividly and sensitively drawn. . . . Deeply moving.”—The Irish Times |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: A Ghost Hunter's Guide to the Most Haunted Places in America Terrance Zepke, 2012 Boasting photographs, fun facts, and visitor information, this unique (and spooky) travel guide showcases the 15 most haunted places in America. Each chapter is laid out in an easy-to-read format and includes fascinating history and documented paranormal activities. The tour includes the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, where experimental lobotomies were performed and it is believed that many of tormented spirits are still roaming around; Moon River Brewing Company, where no one is allowed to go to the top floor because of the ghost that resides there; Shanghai Tunnels, where men and women were kidnapped and forced into servitude, the poor souls of whom are now encountered on visitor tours; the Pirates' House, where pirate ghosts still demand rum; and Ohio State Reformatory, where prisoners remain incarcerated even though it has been closed for a long time. The information about each site includes addresses, tips, accessibility, and websites. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Scream Margee Kerr, 2015-09-29 Shiver-inducing science not for the faint of heart. No one studies fear quite like Margee Kerr. A sociologist who moonlights at one of America's scariest and most popular haunted houses, she has seen grown men laugh, cry, and push their loved ones aside as they run away in terror. And she's kept careful notes on what triggers these responses and why. Fear is a universal human experience, but do we really understand it? If we're so terrified of monsters and serial killers, why do we flock to the theaters to see them? Why do people avoid thinking about death, but jump out of planes and swim with sharks? For Kerr, there was only one way to find out. In this eye-opening, adventurous book, she takes us on a tour of the world's scariest experiences: into an abandoned prison long after dark, hanging by a cord from the highest tower in the Western hemisphere, and deep into Japan's mysterious suicide forest. She even goes on a ghost hunt with a group of paranormal adventurers. Along the way, Kerr shows us the surprising science from the newest studies of fear -- what it means, how it works, and what it can do for us. Full of entertaining science and the thrills of a good ghost story, this book will make you think, laugh -- and scream. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Ghost-Hunting For Dummies Zak Bagans, 2020-05-21 Dive into the ghostly world of the supernatural with America’s leading paranormal investigator Inside, paranormal investigator, star, and executive producer of The Travel Channel's hit series, Ghost Adventures and founder of the award-winning Haunted Museum (Las Vegas’ most popular attraction), Zak Bagans takes readers on an exciting journey into the supernatural world. With insider information on the history of ghost-hunting to learning about ghosts with all kinds of temperaments, Ghost-Hunting For Dummies is peppered with true accounts and stories from Bagans' famous cases and investigations. Featuring expert advice on picking a haunted location, setting up cameras, and dealing with unwieldy ghosts, this book shows how today's investigators use the tools of modern science to study a wide range of paranormal activity. Take an exciting adventure into the supernatural world Explore haunted sites Get messages from beyond the grave Read true accounts from famous cases and investigations If you're one of the countless fans of Ghost Adventures itching to get off the couch and track some spirits on your own, this book provides everything you need to know to conduct a successful paranormal investigation. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Surrendered Chang-rae Lee, 2010-03-09 Read an essay by Chang-rae Lee here. The bestselling, award-winning writer of Native Speaker, Aloft, and My Year Abroad returns with his biggest, most ambitious novel yet: a spellbinding story of how love and war echo through an entire lifetime. With his three critically acclaimed novels, Chang-rae Lee has established himself as one of the most talented writers of contemporary literary fiction. Now, with The Surrendered, Lee has created a book that amplifies everything we've seen in his previous works, and reads like nothing else. It is a brilliant, haunting, heartbreaking story about how love and war inalterably change the lives of those they touch. June Han was only a girl when the Korean War left her orphaned; Hector Brennan was a young GI who fled the petty tragedies of his small town to serve his country. When the war ended, their lives collided at a Korean orphanage where they vied for the attentions of Sylvie Tanner, the beautiful yet deeply damaged missionary wife whose elusive love seemed to transform everything. Thirty years later and on the other side of the world, June and Hector are reunited in a plot that will force them to come to terms with the mysterious secrets of their past, and the shocking acts of love and violence that bind them together. As Lee unfurls the stunning story of June, Hector, and Sylvie, he weaves a profound meditation on the nature of heroism and sacrifice, the power of love, and the possibilities for mercy, salvation, and surrendering oneself to another. Combining the complex themes of identity and belonging of Native Speaker and A Gesture Life with the broad range, energy, and pure storytelling gifts of Aloft, Chang-rae Lee has delivered his most ambitious, exciting, and unforgettable work yet. It is a mesmerizing novel, elegantly suspenseful and deeply affecting. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Lila Robert Pirsig, 2013-11-06 In this bestselling new book, his first in seventeen years, Robert M. Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, takes us on a poignant and passionate journey as mysterious and compelling as his first life-changing work. Instead of a motorcycle, a sailboat carries his philosopher-narrator Phaedrus down the Hudson River as winter closes in. Along the way he picks up a most unlikely traveling companion: a woman named Lila who in her desperate sexuality, hostility, and oncoming madness threatens to disrupt his life. In Lila Robert M. Pirsig has crafted a unique work of adventure and ideas that examines the essential issues of the nineties as his previous classic did the seventies. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Ten Days in a Mad-House (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition) Nellie Bly, 2007 |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: War Trash Ha Jin, 2007-12-18 Ha Jin’s masterful new novel casts a searchlight into a forgotten corner of modern history, the experience of Chinese soldiers held in U.S. POW camps during the Korean War. In 1951 Yu Yuan, a scholarly and self-effacing clerical officer in Mao’s “volunteer” army, is taken prisoner south of the 38th Parallel. Because he speaks English, he soon becomes an intermediary between his compatriots and their American captors.With Yuan as guide, we are ushered into the secret world behind the barbed wire, a world where kindness alternates with blinding cruelty and one has infinitely more to fear from one’s fellow prisoners than from the guards. Vivid in its historical detail, profound in its imaginative empathy, War Trash is Ha Jin’s most ambitious book to date. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Parental Kidnapping in America Maureen Dabbagh, 2011-12-08 In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice reported an average of 200,000 cases of parental kidnapping each year. More than just the byproduct of a nasty custody dispute, parental kidnapping--defined as one parent taking his or her child and denying access of the child to the other parent--represents a form of child abuse that has sometimes resulted in the sale, abandonment and even death of children. This candid exploration of parental kidnapping in America from the eighteenth century to the present clarifies many misconceptions and reveals how the external influences of American social, political, legal, and religious culture can exacerbate family conflict, creating a social atmosphere ripe for abduction. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Asylum Archives Case Study Vol. 2 Briggs Jaron, St. Giles Jennifer, Dutcher Richard, 2017-09-12 Taken from actual medical files, Asylum Archives is a collection of short stories based on true accounts from the insane! Featuring stories from USA Today Bestselling author, Jenni St. Giles, acclaimed filmmaker Richard Dutcher, and bestselling author Jaron Briggs, Asylum Archives is prescribed as a few milligrams of insanity! |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: No Place for the Weak Ryan Green, 2021-04-19 It was a scene from the worst nightmare you've ever had, I don't think any of us was prepared for what we saw. - Snowtown officer On 20 May 1999, the South Australian Police were called to investigate a disused bank in the unassuming town of Snowtown, in connection to the disappearance of multiple missing people. The Police were not prepared for the chilling scene that awaited them. The officers found six barrels within the abandoned bank vault, each filled with acid and the remains of eight individuals. The smell from inside the vault was so stifling that the police required breathing equipment. Accompanying the bodies were numerous everyday tools that pathologists would later confirm were used for prolonged torture, murder and cannibalism. The findings shocked Australia to its core, which deepened still when it was revealed that the torture and murders were committed by not one, but a group of killers. The four men, led by John Bunting, targeted paedophiles, homosexuals, addicts or the 'weak' in an attempt to cleanse society. No Place for the Weak is a chilling account of the 'Snowtown Murders' (AKA: 'Bodies in Barrels Murders'), and one of the most disturbing true crime stories in Australia's history. Ryan Green's riveting narrative draws the reader into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller. CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of torture, abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: The Badness of Ballydog Garrett Carr, 2010-02-04 Something is coming … something big. May knows it, but no one will listen to her. She is an outcast due to her odd ways and freakish ability with animals. Andrew knows it, but he has his position as gang leader to maintain. Ewan knows it, but what can he do? The sea creature is the biggest living thing on the face of the earth. And it won't stop until it has destroyed Ballydog. Can three teenagers save the baddest town in the world from its fate? Is it even worth saving? |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: A Patriot's History of the United States Larry Schweikart, Michael Patrick Allen, 2004-12-29 For the past three decades, many history professors have allowed their biases to distort the way America’s past is taught. These intellectuals have searched for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our history while downplaying the greatness of America’s patriots and the achievements of “dead white men.” As a result, more emphasis is placed on Harriet Tubman than on George Washington; more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II than about D-Day or Iwo Jima; more on the dangers we faced from Joseph McCarthy than those we faced from Josef Stalin. A Patriot’s History of the United States corrects those doctrinaire biases. In this groundbreaking book, America’s discovery, founding, and development are reexamined with an appreciation for the elements of public virtue, personal liberty, and private property that make this nation uniquely successful. This book offers a long-overdue acknowledgment of America’s true and proud history. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Pennhurst and the Struggle for Disability Rights Dennis B. Downey, James W. Conroy, 2020-04-13 Conceived in the era of eugenics as a solution to what was termed the “problem of the feeble-minded,” state-operated institutions subjected people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to a life of compulsory incarceration. One of nearly 300 such facilities in the United States, Pennhurst State School and Hospital was initially hailed as a “model institution” but was later revealed to be a nightmare, where medical experimentation and physical and psychological abuse were rampant. At its peak, more than 3,500 residents were confined at Pennhurst, supervised by a staff of fewer than 600. Using a blended narrative of essays and first-person accounts, this history of Pennhurst examines the institution from its founding during an age of Progressive reform to its present-day exploitation as a controversial Halloween attraction. In doing so, it traces a decades-long battle to reform the abhorrent school and hospital and reveals its role as a catalyst for the disability rights movement. Beginning in the 1950s, parent-advocates, social workers, and attorneys joined forces to challenge the dehumanizing conditions at Pennhurst. Their groundbreaking advocacy, accelerated in 1968 by the explosive televised exposé Suffer the Little Children, laid the foundation for lawsuits that transformed American jurisprudence and ended mass institutionalization in the United States. As a result, Pennhurst became a symbolic force in the disability civil rights movement in America and around the world. Extensively researched and featuring the stories of survivors, parents, and advocates, this compelling history will appeal both to those with connections to Pennhurst and to anyone interested in the history of institutionalization and the disability rights movement. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: A Madness So Discreet Mindy McGinnis, 2015-10-06 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery Mindy McGinnis, the acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, combines murder, madness, and mystery in a beautifully twisted gothic historical thriller perfect for fans of novels such as Asylum and The Diviners as well as television's True Detective and American Horror Story. Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace's brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: This Way Madness Lies Mike Jay, 2016-09-15 Is mental illness or madness at root an illness of the body, a disease of the mind, or a sickness of the soul? Should those who suffer from it be secluded from society or integrated more fully into it? This Way Madness Lies explores the meaning of mental illness through the successive incarnations of the institution that defined it: the madhouse, designed to segregate its inmates from society; the lunatic asylum, which intended to restore the reason of sufferers by humane treatment; and the mental hospital, which reduced their conditions to diseases of the brain. Moving and sometimes provocative illustrations and photographs, sourced from the Wellcome Collection's extensive archives and the archives of mental institutions in Europe and the U.S., illuminate and reinforce the compelling narrative, while extensive gallery sections present revealing and thought-provoking artworks by asylum patients and other artists from each era of the institution and beyond. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Haunted Stark County Sherri Brake, 2009-05 Ghostly diners, violent crimes of passion, phantoms peering from theatre balconies, canal workers who still walk the towpaths the haunted history of Stark County includes characters and legends as bizarre as they are terrifying. Take a bone-chilling journey with Sherri Brake, owner of Haunted Heartland Tours, as she recounts tales of superstitious pioneers and the horrors of the great influenza epidemic of 1918. Stroll along silent corridors of an abandoned asylum and linger among graves of Civil War dead and discover the eerie ends of Stark County s departed souls. |
| allegheny lunatic asylum history: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Anne Tyler, 2013 Pearl Tull is the matriarchal head of the Tull family since being abandoned by her husband Beck 35 years ago. She was left to bring up their three children. |
Allegheny College
6 days ago · At Allegheny College, you’re never just one thing. Choose a major and a minor, providing perspective from the local to the global, leading you to outcomes beyond your …
Home - Allegheny County, PA
View Allegheny County's nine beautiful parks, each with its own features and amenities. Browse available job postings and career opportunities with Allegheny County. Find property records, …
Allegheny Mountains - Wikipedia
The Allegheny Mountain Range (/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪni / AL-ig-AY-nee) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of …
Allegheny | Pittsburgh, Rivers, Hills | Britannica
Jun 9, 2025 · Allegheny, county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., consisting of a hilly region on the Allegheny Plateau bounded to the southeast by the Monongahela and Youghiogheny …
Allegheny County Map - Pittsburgh Region, Pennsylvania, USA
Allegheny County is the center of the Pittsburgh Region of Pennsylvania. It contains the city of Pittsburgh and most of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
31 Must-See Attractions in Allegheny County - PA Bucket List
The best things to see and do in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Includes Pittsburgh and surrounding areas in the county.
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Jul 1, 2024 · Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties. Also for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.
Allegheny College Athletics - Official Athletics Website
The official athletics website for the Allegheny College Gators
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
Allegheny County (/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪni / AL-ig-AY-nee) is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous …
Government - Allegheny County, PA
Explore information about the Allegheny County government, including county elections, the Allegheny County Court system, emergency services, employment opportunities, and more.
Allegheny College
6 days ago · At Allegheny College, you’re never just one thing. Choose a major and a minor, providing perspective from the local to the global, leading you to outcomes beyond your …
Home - Allegheny County, PA
View Allegheny County's nine beautiful parks, each with its own features and amenities. Browse available job postings and career opportunities with Allegheny County. Find property records, …
Allegheny Mountains - Wikipedia
The Allegheny Mountain Range (/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪni / AL-ig-AY-nee) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of …
Allegheny | Pittsburgh, Rivers, Hills | Britannica
Jun 9, 2025 · Allegheny, county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., consisting of a hilly region on the Allegheny Plateau bounded to the southeast by the Monongahela and Youghiogheny …
Allegheny County Map - Pittsburgh Region, Pennsylvania, USA
Allegheny County is the center of the Pittsburgh Region of Pennsylvania. It contains the city of Pittsburgh and most of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
31 Must-See Attractions in Allegheny County - PA Bucket List
The best things to see and do in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Includes Pittsburgh and surrounding areas in the county.
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Jul 1, 2024 · Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties. Also for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.
Allegheny College Athletics - Official Athletics Website
The official athletics website for the Allegheny College Gators
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
Allegheny County (/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪni / AL-ig-AY-nee) is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous …
Government - Allegheny County, PA
Explore information about the Allegheny County government, including county elections, the Allegheny County Court system, emergency services, employment opportunities, and more.
