Friday, May 29, 2015

College Hill Secrets by Jillian Kent

The Ohio Female College
 My husband and I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio after graduating from West Virginia University in 1980 with our Masters Degrees in Social Work.

We began our work life journey together at Emerson A. North Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital located in College Hill, Ohio. One of the first questions I ever asked is, "Where's the college?" The answer from a friend was, "You're standing in the middle of it, but it didn't look like this when it was functioning as a school."


The hospital was named after a prominent psychiatrist in Cincinnati. I located a brief paragraph in the UC Department of Psychology History from 1960. 

"The first coursework in clinical psychology was offered in the 1923-1924 academic year. Emerson A. North, MD, Instructor in Neurology at the College of Medicine, offered a course entitled clinical psychology. In addition, Maurice Levine, who had recently completed a master's degree in psychology at UC, offered a course in abnormal psychology. Both North and Levine would go on to head the Psychiatry Department at the College of Medicine in later years."

Emerson A North Hospital
When I began my work on the Adult Units at Emerson it was May 1980. The main part of the hospital looked very much like this although this picture is from an earlier time.

The Cincinnati Sanitarium was established in 1873. "It was the first private psychiatric facility in the U. S. for the treatment of nervous and mental disorders plus alcohol and opium addictions and occupied 40 acres with  four two-story cottages, an amusement hall with a billiard hall in the basement, a flower conservatory, several physical plant buildings, an ice house and even a station for the Cincinnati Northwestern railroad. One of the buildings, the administration building, occupied the site of The Ohio Female College which was founded in 1852."



Aerial view of the Cincinnati Sanitarium



So many psychiatric hospitals closed in the 1980's when deinstitutionalization put our mentally ill on the street.

Just out of curiosity. What's the name of the
closest psychiatric hospital near you? Do you know it's history?









 Jillian Kent writes novels set during England's Regency era. A student of both historical and contemporary mental health issues she is also a full time counselor for nursing students. To find out more please visit www.jilliankent.com

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21 comments:

  1. It's an easy answer since there is a Veterans Hospital is within walking distance from me.

    I don't know its history but I did found out that assistance for veterans began in 1636 when the Pligrams were at war with Peqout Indians--any disabled men were assisted by the colony.

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    1. I had no idea they had any assistance in 1636.

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  2. The closest to me is part of the larger complex of a local hospital. I don't know nearly as much about its history as I do about the Lincoln Regional Center, which was part of the founding plans of the capitol city of Nebraska. My first husband (who passed away in 2001) had an office in one of the repurposed buildings on the original "Insane Asylum" grounds. I am very thankful for people like you, Jillian, who serve those with mental health challenges.

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    1. Hi Steph,
      Thanks for the kind words. I love my work, it truly is a ministry. I remember when your first husband died. A very sad time. If the land could talk just imagine how much it would have to say about history.

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  3. actually I was institutionalized here in 1863 or 1964 I was 11 years old. I have stories.

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  4. In 1985 I was an adolescent inpatient at Emerson at the age of 15. It was a life changing experience. I wonder if we ever interacted.

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  5. In 1985 I was an adolescent inpatient at Emerson at the age of 15. It was a life changing experience. I wonder if we ever interacted.

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  6. I was also an adolescent inpatient at Emerson in 1985, at the age of 13. I wonder if the two of us patients knew each other.

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  7. I was an adolescent patient in 1979-80 at 12-13 years old. I spent time on the adolescent unit on floor 2 and some on the adult unit on floor 3 due to my uncontrollable desire to leave any way I could. It's nice to see others that have this same story. I also have stories.

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  8. Are you the kid that set the quiet room on fire??

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    1. It was a long time ago. I don't remember ever setting anything on fire. There was a kid that the staff disliked quite a bit and they would lock him and I in the quiet room together so I could..."take out my aggressions" on him so they didn't have to. Were you there at the same time I was? I've alway wondered what happened to the others. We had reunions for a couple years after we all got out but those stopped a LONG time ago.

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  9. Thanx for your reply. I was there either 80 or 81 in the fall, about 2 months over thanksgiving. You would have remembered me, as I had that kid by the throat at one point... Are you John, by any chance??

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  10. I was here in 1992, and it was the most transformational experience of my life. I still miss the staff and fellow patients.

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  11. I worked here as an attendant on B Hall, the psychotic ward in the early 70s. Also lived onsite in one of the outbuildings. Beautiful grounds to live on and definitely an instructive experience...I have stories

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    1. I was there in 1972 and visited B Hall, perhaps I saw or talked to you there?...There was a patient named Bobby there and he liked his Post Toasties...

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  12. My former wife worked there as a psychiatric aide while she and I were a college students at UC in 1975. Sometimes I picked her up after work. I had a psychiatrist, William E Hilliard MD. He was on the staff there, but I always saw him in his office next to Christ Hospital.

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  13. My best friend in high-school was an inpatient somewhere around 92. I went to so many aa meetings in the building in front of Emerson.

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  14. I was an inpatient around the 91-92 time, on the juvenile floor. I spent almost 6 months there at the age of 17. I can honestly say that they 100% saved my life with the treatment I received while there. I remember my time there mostly fondly.

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  15. I was there in January of 1972 and I was 15 years old. My Doctor"s name was Khalili. One of the attendants was named Kim Sasser. I was later transferred to Oesterlen Childrens Home in Springfield, Ohio. I had access to the Children's Ward eventually along with B Hall and C Hall. I went up into the tower pictured in this blog, high over the city. There were things up there that amazed me.

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  16. I was searching for an old coworker and came across this blog. I was a nurse at Emerson North from 1988-1991. It is so heartening to see the comments of people who were helped there. I worked on the adult units with Bill Menard who passed some years ago. He was the kindest soul.

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  17. I was there in 1973. I was 13 years old. One of the worst experiences of my life. I was traumatized. I was on the adult ward and I was not safe. Things happened that should have never been allowed to happen. I have stories.

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