New York State Inebriate Asylum

The New York State Inebriate Asylum, later known as Binghamton State Hospital, was the first institution designed and constructed to treat alcoholism as a mental disorder in the United States.[2][3] Located in Binghamton, NY, its imposing Gothic Revival exterior was designed by New York architect Isaac G. Perry and construction was completed in 1864. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997.[2][3] In 2015, Binghamton University announced it had taken stewardship of the building and will proceed with plans for rehabilitation of the building.[4]

New York State Inebriate Asylum
The New York State Inebriate Asylum, as it appeared in 1882
New York State Inebriate Asylum is located in New York
New York State Inebriate Asylum
New York State Inebriate Asylum is located in the United States
New York State Inebriate Asylum
Location425 Robinson St., Binghamton, NY
Coordinates42°6′23.3274″N 75°51′56.7″W
Area20 acres (8.1 ha) (landmarked area)
Built1858 (1858)
ArchitectIsaac G. Perry
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.96000814
NYSRHP No.00740.000262
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 24, 1996[1]
Designated NHLDecember 9, 1997[2]
Designated NYSRHPJune 7, 1996

Description and history

The former New York State Inebriate Asylum building is located high on a prominent hilltop in eastern Binghamton, at 425 Robinson Street. It is a large and imposing Gothic Revival stone building, built according to the principles of the Kirkbride Plan for large institutions. When built it was T-shaped, with a central core designed to house administrative functions, wings projecting to the sides for housing patients, and service functions in a wing projecting behind the administrative core. The service wing has since been demolished.[3]

The asylum was chartered in 1854, but site work and construction on this campus did not begin until 1857, in what were then the rural outskirts of Binghamton. The asylum admitted its first patients in 1864, but the building was not completed for another two years. It was the first large-scale public facility in which alcoholism was treated as a medical condition. It served this function until 1879, when it was converted to a mental hospital. The facilities were significantly enlarged in the 1880s, with the addition of many buildings that have since been demolished. The building remained in use as a mental hospital or psychiatric services center until 1993, when it was closed due to inadequate maintenance.[3]

In 2008, SUNY Upstate Medical University took over the vacant building, with plans rehabilitate the main building and to establish a satellite campus on the grounds. Due to a general economic downturn, the university never developed the building beyond stabilizing its condition. In 2015, Binghamton University announced it had taken stewardship of the building and published plans for rehabilitation of the building.

New York State Inebriate Asylum as of 2010
New York State Inebriate Asylum as of 2010

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "New York State Inebriate Asylum". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 15, 2007. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013.
  3. Laura A. Kimball; Karla M. Eisch & Wesley Haynes (July 1997). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: New York State Inebriate Asylum" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Media and Public Relations at Binghamton University - Media and Public Relations - Binghamton University". Media and Public Relations - Binghamton University.

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