Western Lunatic Asylum
National Register of Historic Places

Western Lunatic Asylum

Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky
Listed
April 29, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79003612

About this property

The Western State Hospital is a publicly funded psychiatric hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Construction began in 1848, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on The Western Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, which began admitting patients in 1854. Later renamed Western State Hospital, the facility currently operates as an inpatient center for the treatment of mental illness. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It had a patient population as high as 2,200 by 1950. Improved medications for treatment of mental disorders allowed de-institutionalization and a decrease in inpatient numbers. The inpatient population as of 2004 was 220, from 34 counties in Western Kentucky. Its three facilities employed 650 workers in 2004. Unconfirmed stories of alleged paranormal activity at the facility were featured in the book Hauntings of the Western Lunatic Asylum by author Steve E. Asher. The hospital underwent renovation in 2019. The old cage elevator had reportedly not been in use for around four years, which was then replaced with a newer and larger elevator that cost $300,000. This new installation was also part of a bigger renovation project involving upgrades to both the interior and exterior at the hospital, divided into different phases.

Location

Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky
36.86515, -87.45101

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Higgins, E. H., House
Industrial
1 mi
Walker, E. W., House
Industrial
1.1 mi
Boatright House
Early Republic
1.3 mi
Fairelond
Industrial
1.3 mi
Yost, Frank K., House
Industrial
1.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Western Lunatic Asylum listed on the National Register?

Western Lunatic Asylum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Western Lunatic Asylum?

Western Lunatic Asylum is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Western Lunatic Asylum?

The period of significance for Western Lunatic Asylum is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Western Lunatic Asylum?

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