Mohansic State Hospital
Encyclopedia
Mohansic State Hospital was a hospital which existed near Yorktown Heights
in Westchester County, New York. On October 17, 1909, the State Commission in Lunacy purchased 550 acres (2.2 km²) on Lake Mohansic for $135,000, with the intention of building an asylum to accommodate 2,000 (later 6,000) patients to relieve the overcrowding of institutions in New York City. The property was later expanded to 660 acres (2.7 km²), with an additional 490 acres (2 km²) for the New York State Training School for Boys. Dr. Isham G. Harris became superintendent of Mohansic State Hospital in 1910.
In 1911, a spur from the New York and Putnam Railroad was built from Yorktown Heights and across Crom Pond to the site. Construction of the hospital was underway, starting with three "cottages" which housed 165 inmates. Strang Cottage was the site of the murder of 19 year-old hospital attendant Charles Wiley, Jr. on July 4, 1913.
In 1916 continued construction on the asylum became the subject of heated debate. Senator Robert F. Wagner
cited concerns of pollution to the New Croton Reservoir
and the New York City water supply from sewage the asylum would produce, and Senator Henry M. Sage cited the considerable amount the State had already spent developing the property at New York City's request. New York State Governor Charles S. Whitman
eventually ordered construction stopped to protect the watershed, and in 1918 he signed a bill which abandoned the hospital project. The funds for Mohansic were re-appropriated for use in construction of an asylum in upstate New York, and the property was converted to a state park in 1918. The site is currently occupied by Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
.
Yorktown Heights, New York
Yorktown Heights is a census-designated place in the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Yorktown Heights is located at ....
in Westchester County, New York. On October 17, 1909, the State Commission in Lunacy purchased 550 acres (2.2 km²) on Lake Mohansic for $135,000, with the intention of building an asylum to accommodate 2,000 (later 6,000) patients to relieve the overcrowding of institutions in New York City. The property was later expanded to 660 acres (2.7 km²), with an additional 490 acres (2 km²) for the New York State Training School for Boys. Dr. Isham G. Harris became superintendent of Mohansic State Hospital in 1910.
In 1911, a spur from the New York and Putnam Railroad was built from Yorktown Heights and across Crom Pond to the site. Construction of the hospital was underway, starting with three "cottages" which housed 165 inmates. Strang Cottage was the site of the murder of 19 year-old hospital attendant Charles Wiley, Jr. on July 4, 1913.
In 1916 continued construction on the asylum became the subject of heated debate. Senator Robert F. Wagner
Robert F. Wagner
Robert Ferdinand Wagner I was an American politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York from 1927 to 1949.-Origin and early life:...
cited concerns of pollution to the New Croton Reservoir
New Croton Reservoir
The New Croton reservoir is a narrow reservoir in Westchester County, New York, lying approximately north of New York City, for which the reservoir supplies water. It is the collecting point for water from all reservoirs in the Croton Watershed....
and the New York City water supply from sewage the asylum would produce, and Senator Henry M. Sage cited the considerable amount the State had already spent developing the property at New York City's request. New York State Governor Charles S. Whitman
Charles S. Whitman
Charles Seymour Whitman served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1915 to December 1918. He was also a delegate to Republican National Convention from New York in 1916.-Biography:...
eventually ordered construction stopped to protect the watershed, and in 1918 he signed a bill which abandoned the hospital project. The funds for Mohansic were re-appropriated for use in construction of an asylum in upstate New York, and the property was converted to a state park in 1918. The site is currently occupied by Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park is a state park in Westchester County, New York. It was formerly known as Mohansic Park and Mohansic State Park and is situated in Yorktown, about 40 miles from New York City...
.