Lawrence Frick State Hospital
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Frick State Hospital was a state mental health
hospital near Cresson
, Pennsylvania
that had several different names and uses before becoming defunct and converted into a prison in the 1980's.
patients as the air was good for them here in the mountains. Construction on the facility started in 1912 and took four years to complete. The land on which this facility sat was donated by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie
.
was ready to sign a order for the center to become a correctional facility, the hospital was closed in December 1982, and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections took over in 1984.
destroyed the Annex Building at the hospital, which at the time housed children. The three-story building, which was four structures connected together, burned to the ground. Low-water pressure in the hydrants on campus were to blame as well as gusting winds.
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
hospital near Cresson
Cresson, Pennsylvania
Cresson is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh. Cresson is an elevated place known for its beauty. Mineral springs add to its attractions. It is above 2,000 feet in elevation. Lumber, coal, and coke yards were industries that had supported the population which numbered...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that had several different names and uses before becoming defunct and converted into a prison in the 1980's.
Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium (1916-1955)
The facility was used at first as a treatment center for tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patients as the air was good for them here in the mountains. Construction on the facility started in 1912 and took four years to complete. The land on which this facility sat was donated by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
.
Lawrence Frick State Hospital (1956-1984)
As the need for sanatoriums decreased in the 1950's due to the discoveries of modern medicine and tests for tuberculosis, the facility became a state hospital for the developmentally-disabled. The name of the facility changed over time becoming the Cresson State School and Hospital then later, Cresson Center. Finally in 1982, as then-Governor Dick ThornburghDick Thornburgh
Richard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
was ready to sign a order for the center to become a correctional facility, the hospital was closed in December 1982, and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections took over in 1984.
1969 Annex Fire
On January 2, 1969, a fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
destroyed the Annex Building at the hospital, which at the time housed children. The three-story building, which was four structures connected together, burned to the ground. Low-water pressure in the hydrants on campus were to blame as well as gusting winds.
Current Day and Preservation (1987-Present)
- The graves of deceased patients has been turned into a memorial outside the facility by then-Pennsylvania First Lady, Ginny Thornburgh. The memorial is maintained by DOC Maintenance Employees and inmates at the facility.
- The facility re-opened in 1987 as State Correctional Institution - CressonState Correctional Institution - CressonState Correctional Institution - Cresson is a medium-security, all male correctional facility, located off U.S. Route 22, about 10 miles west of Altoona along Old Route 22 in the Western part of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Creation of SCI-Cresson:...
and is still operating.