The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, known to many simply as Sheppard Pratt, is a psychiatric hospital
located in Towson
, a northern suburb of Baltimore, Maryland
. The hospital was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1971.
Founded in 1853 by the Baltimore merchant Moses Sheppard
, after a visit by the mental health rights advocate and social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix, the hospital was originally called the Sheppard Asylum. The original buildings were designed by the famous architect Calvert Vaux
and constructed on what had previously been a 340 acres (1.4 km²) farm. The cornerstone of the original building was laid in spring of 1862. The facility was designed according to the Kirkbride Plan
.
Sheppard stipulated that the following conditions were to be imposed for the Asylum:
As a result of these financial restrains, the Asylum did not open until 1891, 34 years after Sheppard's death. It also left it with financial uncertainty, putting its long-term future in doubt.
The future of the Asylum was greatly enhanced when in 1893, the estate of Baltimore merchant Enoch Pratt
bequeathed a substantial amount of his fortune to complete the construction and expand the asylum with the stipulation that the name change to The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital.
In 2000, Sheppard Pratt retained the services HDR, Inc.
to design a major expansion to the campus, which would be the largest addition to Sheppard Pratt since its inception. The new addition was as large as the original buildings, encompassing over 270000 square feet (25,083.8 m²), effectively doubling the size of the facility. with the expansion and renovation complete, patient rooms have been moved from the hospital's twin historic Victorian-era buildings to more modern facilities.
Today the hospital is one of the leading mental health providers in the United States. It has been constantly ranked in the top 10 by US News and World Report.
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
located in Towson
Towson
-Places:In the United States:*Towson, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Maryland**Towson Center, an arena in Towson, Maryland**Towson Town Center, a shopping mall in Towson, Maryland*Fort Towson, Oklahoma, a community in Oklahoma...
, a northern suburb of Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The hospital was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1971.
Founded in 1853 by the Baltimore merchant Moses Sheppard
Moses Sheppard
Moses Sheppard was a Baltimore businessman, a Friend , a philanthropist, and founder of the now Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital....
, after a visit by the mental health rights advocate and social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix, the hospital was originally called the Sheppard Asylum. The original buildings were designed by the famous architect Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux , was an architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer , of New York's Central Park....
and constructed on what had previously been a 340 acres (1.4 km²) farm. The cornerstone of the original building was laid in spring of 1862. The facility was designed according to the Kirkbride Plan
Kirkbride Plan
The Kirkbride Plan refers to a system of mental asylum design advocated by Philadelphia psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride in the mid-19th century.-History:The establishment of state mental hospitals in the U.S...
.
Sheppard stipulated that the following conditions were to be imposed for the Asylum:
“Courteous treatment and comfort of all patients; that no patient was to be confined below ground; all were to have privacy, sunlight and fresh air; the asylum's purpose was to be curative, combining science and experience for the best possible results; and that only income, not principal would be used to build and operate the asylum.”
As a result of these financial restrains, the Asylum did not open until 1891, 34 years after Sheppard's death. It also left it with financial uncertainty, putting its long-term future in doubt.
The future of the Asylum was greatly enhanced when in 1893, the estate of Baltimore merchant Enoch Pratt
Enoch Pratt
Enoch Pratt was an American businessman in Baltimore, Maryland, a Unitarian, and a philanthropist.-Biography:...
bequeathed a substantial amount of his fortune to complete the construction and expand the asylum with the stipulation that the name change to The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital.
In 2000, Sheppard Pratt retained the services HDR, Inc.
HDR, Inc.
HDR Inc. is an employee-owned architectural, engineering and consulting firm based in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. HDR has worked on projects in all 50 U.S. states and in 60 countries, including notable projects such as the Hoover Dam Bypass, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, and the The Roslin Institute building...
to design a major expansion to the campus, which would be the largest addition to Sheppard Pratt since its inception. The new addition was as large as the original buildings, encompassing over 270000 square feet (25,083.8 m²), effectively doubling the size of the facility. with the expansion and renovation complete, patient rooms have been moved from the hospital's twin historic Victorian-era buildings to more modern facilities.
Today the hospital is one of the leading mental health providers in the United States. It has been constantly ranked in the top 10 by US News and World Report.
Further reading
- The Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital, 1853-1970. A History., Bliss Forbush (1971)
- Gatehouse: The Evolution of the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, 1853-1986, Bliss Forbush (1986), ISBN B0006ELCV6
External links
- Sheppard Pratt website
- Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital & Gate House, Baltimore County, including photo in 2000, at Maryland Historical Trust
- Sheppard Pratt on Google Street View