Construction & Growth, Architecture of the Kalamazoo State Hospital

Construction and Growth

This enclosed case features a large photo of the brick water tower located in the grounds of the Kalamazoo State Hospital and has a brick wallpaper background.  Surrounding the water tower photo are several smaller historical images of buildings that were built on the grounds of the hospital and include the dates the buildings were built and torn down.  On the bottom of the case is green turf and historical images of the basball team with a baseball bat and glove and an historical image of patients playing tennis with 2 tennis rackets and 3 tennis balls.  

The first buildings built on the campus of the Michigan Asylum for the Insane were of the Italianate style as it was considered to be the lightest, most cheerful and least expensive of the architectural styles.  The trustees of the asylum determined that the buildings should be fire proof as recent fires in several eastern institutions had resulted in the loss of life.  As a result, most of the buildings on the hospital campus were constructed of brick and stone. 

Construction of the Female Building was completed in 1859 and it became the first building in use on the campus of the Michigan Asylum for the Insane.  The Male Building was finished in 1874 and with its opening the hospital trustees declared that building on the campus was completed.  However, the need for more space to house more patients quickly became evident as the Male Building was at full capacity shortly after opening. To meet this need, numerous buildings were added over the 165-year history of the asylum.     

Dates of Buildings

1859 - 1969 Female Department

1863 - 1987 Turnbull Cottage

1874 - 1975 Male Department

1877 - Present Gate Cottage, Porters Lodge, Entrance Cottage

1916 - 1948 Laundry

1887 - 1958 Trask Cottage

1860 - 1952 Bakery

1887 - 1957 Storehouse

1888 - 1971 Grosvenor Cottage

1888 - 1971 Brady Cottage

1889 - 1971 Palmer Cottage

1889 - 1971 Mitchell Cottage

1892 - 1971 Pratt Cottage

1892 - 1946 Slaughterhouse and Hog Pens, Colony Farm

1896 - Present Brick Water Tower

1897 - 1988 Fletcher Hospital, Infirmary

1898 - 1975 Potter Cottage, Hospital

1900 - 1971 Heindes Cottage

1900 - 1988 Burns Cottage

1902 - 1976 Monroe Cottage

1905 - 1988 Edwards Hospital

1908 - 1998 Van Deusen Cottage, Hospital

1910 - 1971 Rich Cottage

1911 - 1938 Tuberculosis Buildings, T & TX

1912 - 2006 Noble Lodge*

1912 - 2000 Clinical Pathological

1913 - Present Montague House

1915-1936 Cannery

1919 - 2005 Industrial

1927 - 1998 Herman Ostrander Infirmary

1931 - 1983 Linda Richards Nursing Home*

1940 - Present Mary Muff Hospital

1942 - Present Administration

1942 - Present Quadrangle (Male Receiving, Holder, Palmer, Acute Medical)

1945 - Present Quadrangle Building, Female Receiving

1948 - 2005 Incinerator

1948 - 1977 Steel Water Tower on Main Campus

1948 - 2005 Pasteurizing Plant (remodeled old canning factory)

1950 - 2005 Vehicular Garage

1952 - Present Oakland (Physician’s Cottage)

1952 - Present Fairview (Physician’s Cottage)

1953 - Present Eastland (Physician’s Cottage)

1953 - Present Woodland (Physician’s Cottage)

1953 - 1996 Northwest Unit*

1953 - 1977 New Hay Barn at Colony Farm*

1958 - 1976 Power Plant at Fair Oaks

1962 - 1998 Elderly Women’s Building (EWB, E.P. Wilbur Building)*

1952 - 1958 Service Building and Central Kitchen

1965 - Present Interfaith Chapel