Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Northern Asylum for the Insane at Traverse City, Michigan, from October 1, 1884, to the full completion of the work, November 10, 1886 : by authority.

  • Northern Asylum for the Insane at Traverse City (Mich.)
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Northern Asylum for the Insane at Traverse City, Michigan, from October 1, 1884, to the full completion of the work, November 10, 1886 : by authority. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    beautiful outlook, commanding the city. Grand Traverse bay and the hills beyond. The Locating Board purchased 339 91-100 acres of land, together with the buildings thereon, at a total cost of $19,611.83. While the Board was au¬ thorized to receive donations of land, this method of acquiring title to the site, implying, as it does, that an inducement offered may influence the de¬ cision in favor of the would-be donors, was neither invited nor encouraged. The total cost of the site, howrever, was not borne by the State. The owners of two of the several tracts were unwilling to sell at prices considered by the Board full and fair valuation therefor. The additional sum asked amounted to $6,000, which was contributed by the citizens of Traverse City. Hon. Perry Hannah still further reduced the cost to the State by donating forty acres of timber land possessing most excellent soil. This retrospect would not be complete without mentioning the further tract of land, 56 66-100 acres, selected by the Locating Board but not pur¬ chased, land deemed essential to the purposes of the Institution. A legal obstacle prevented the purchase, Mr. Hannah being both the owner, and, as a Commissioner, a buyer. The Board reported the circumstances of the case to the succeeding Legislature, and asked that permission be granted to make the desired purchase. The Asylum Legislative Committees visited Traverse City, and, on returning, unanimously and strongly urged the justice and ex¬ pediency of acquiring possession of the land. Unfortunately, through influ¬ ences wholly disconnected with the desirability of the purchase, the bill did not pass. The Board thereupon considered its duty to have been discharged, and the matter is here alluded to only as a record of the past. It is, however, proper to say that all the reasons that were good for the purchase four years ago are cogent to-day, the occupation of the asylum demonstrating fully their force and correctness. The city has rapidly grown toward the desired tract, enhancing itsNpecuniary value.and threatening to overflow on to it be¬ yond reclamation whenever Mr. Hannah shall discontinue his generous and losing purpose of holding it at the original price subject to purchase by the Asylum. This matter as to the future is treated in the report of the Board of Trustees, to which reference may be had for further information. After the selection of a site a Building Board was constituted, by adding to the Locating Board Messrs. Alexander Chapoton, Sr., of Detroit, and Henry H. Riley, of Constantine, making a Board of five members. To this Board was entrusted the responsibility of procuring and adopting plans for asylum buildings, and for constructing, furnishing and equipping the same. Within the limits of the appropriation no restriction or direction as to char¬ acter, size or construction was placed on the Board. At the first meeting of the Board C. M. Wells was appointed to fill the positions of Superintendent and Secretary, provided for by law, and in January, 1882, Gordon W. Lloyd, of Detroit, was selected as architect. Much time and thought was spent preliminary to and during the archi¬ tectural work, in determining the type of asylum structure to be embodied in plans; its capacity in whole and in parts; the interior arrangements and classifications, and the architectural, hygienic and economic features to be incorporated. An examination of the site in its relation to the proposed building was made, resulting in an adaptation of the ground plan by bending forward the extreme wings, so as to afford a view of Grand Traverse Bay from all the wards, and at the same time bring the foundation on land more nearly level.