hilltop state hospital

The Hilltop State Hospital was the first state funded hospital of its kind in its home state, built in 1907. It later became a state hospital, followed by a reform school for boys in 1965. Most of the 30 buildings on campus are housed within a large fence with the currently active Juvenile Detention Center on the property.

This particular building we explored was at one time the administration building and was constructed in 1946. It housed offices on the first floor and a kitchen and dining area in a wing that was later added in 1955. This building once had 8 detached patient wings, which were designed to both isolate sick patients with tb and to allow for maximum fresh air to get to patients. The wings are no longer standing, as they served no purpose with the discovery of drugs to control tuberculosis.

The hospital then became a juvenile treatment center and an addition building was constructed to house approximately 200 children. This center closed in 2002, only to reopen again in 2007 serving the same purpose. The going thusfar has been rocky, with a few patients escaping and a couple others needing to be transferred to more secure detention centers.