Though now torn down, it was once the site of horrific abuses, dehumanizing treatment and naturally, a place of restless spirits. If youre interested in the philadelphia state hospital at byberrys history and the foundations of corruption in philadelphia government starting around 1900 with israel wilson durham and the gang that ran philadelphia at that time, along with the horrors of being underfunded and neglect to patients, this is the right book with the depth of research you are looking for. This book provides an unprecedented window into the good, the bad, the unusual, and the forgotten history of byberry. It was specifically located in the somerton section of the city on the border with bucks county. This page is a community page, its for ppl who remember byberry and want to share their photos. Philadelphia state hospital byberry history this large complex has its humble beginnings as a small work farm for the mentally challenged in a section of philadelphia called byberry, in 1906.
The building opened in 1903 and over the decades eventually expanded to become one of pennsylvanias largest hospitals, housing the mentally ill and criminally insane. For anyone who has shared my fascination with byberry, this is the book for you. The philadelphia state hospital at byberry was a psychiatric hospital located on either side of. Philadelphia state hospital, 1946 despite the bucolic appearance depicted in this 1946 report by the pennsylvania department of welfare, conditions inside byberry were both sad and terrifying.
The philadelphia state hospital at byberry arcadia publishing. I n 18th century philadelphia, when grassy hills gently rolled from the delaware river on the east across to the schuylkill on the west, an infamous building once stood in the most rural township of philadelphia county, byberry. Even today, inhumane conditions and patient abuse are the main legacies of the byberry mental hospital officially known as the philadelphia state hospital. Hopefully soon i can finish my other stories of write new ones. A fire at an ohio prison kills 320 inmates, some of whom burn to death when they are not unlocked from their cells. The hospital officially closed in june 1990, with the remaining patients and.
Byberry state hospital by hannah karena jones arcadia. This is an awesome book for anyone interested in seeing various photographs and details about the history of the state hospital in philadelphia, at byberry. The philadelphia state hospital at byberry was a psychiatric hospital located on either side of roosevelt boulevard in northeast philadelphia, pennsylvania. This is the last chapter of byberry state hospital. Yet it is also a story of reform and redemption, of heroes and human dignity many dedicated staff members did their best to help patients. Two new books provide a fitting eulogy to byberry state hospital. The pennsylvania center for the book byberry insane asylum. While the description above sounds like something out of a horror movie, it actually comes from a 1946 life magazine expose of philadelphias byberry mental hospital. The name of the institution was changed several times during its history being variously named philadelphia state hospital, byberry state hospital, byberry city farms, and the philadelphia hospital for mental diseases.
The inhumane treatment of byberrys patients was largely hidden from the public. The paperback of the the philadelphia state hospital at byberry. While i realize the patients suffered the most in this facility, every single person. Byberry state hospital by hannah karena jones goodreads. The end result of my decade long obsession with psh is this 176 page chronological story of one of americas most notorious mental hospitals. The mistreatment of patients, murders that went unpunished and more are all covered within the pages. A history of misery and medicine finally, a comprehensive, detailed history of byberry. A mental ward exposed during world war ii several thousand conscientious objectors instead of fighting were assigned by the federal. Yet it is also a story of reform and redemption, of heroes and human dignitymany dedicated staff members did their best to help patients.
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