Friends Hospital

Pennsylvania · United States · Hospital

Opened in 1813 by Quakers as the first private psychiatric hospital in the country. The woman seen in the halls resembles a former superintendent's wife.

This building in Philadelphia was the original patient quarters, and the home of the superintendent and his wife.

The woman seen walking the halls is said to resemble the wife of a former superintendent. Doors are heard opening and closing with nobody there, and several members of the overnight staff have their own accounts.

The institution deserves its context. Friends Hospital opened in 1813, founded by Quakers, as the first private psychiatric hospital in the United States. It was built on a principle called moral treatment: that people with mental illness should be housed in dignity, in gardens, with occupation and kindness, rather than chained.

That was radical, and it worked better than what came after it. The enormous state institutions of the later nineteenth century abandoned the idea.

The grounds here were laid out as a therapeutic landscape and the azaleas are famous in this city.

The hospital is active.

FAQ

Where is Friends Hospital located?

Friends Hospital is in Pennsylvania, United States.