Category Archives: Hardwick GA

Several Historic Buildings to Be Demolished at Central State Hospital

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Walker Building, Built in 1874 for the convalescence of white male patients of the Georgia Lunatic Asylum.

Citing dangerous conditions and ongoing issues with trespassing, the state of Georgia plans to demolish the Walker, Jones, and Green buildings, and the wash house on the historic campus of Central State Hospital. Strangely, the old prison buildings near the cemetery, which appear to be the most dangerous structures on the property, aren’t included in the order. The governor has signed off on the demolition request from the state’s behavioral health board and work could begin as soon as this fall. The iconic Powell Building and restored depot will remain.

A spokesperson for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities told the Milledgeville Union-Recorder: “First, we understand the connection the community has with Central State Hospital and the concern community members have over the protection of the property,” DBHDD communications director Ryan King said in an email response. “DBHDD explored in-depth the alternatives on these properties. Ultimately, it was determined that demolition was the only viable option to mitigate the significant and potentially deadly risk these buildings pose to the public and to create a path for the property to be revitalized.”

“In attempts to breathe life back into the Central State Hospital campus through reinvestment and partnerships, the intention is to demolish the Wash House, Walker, Green and Jones buildings. It’s important to understand the Powell Building will remain intact and serve as a centerpiece in potential reinvestment and redevelopment plans.“

Several preservation groups have spoken out against the plan, including the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Atlanta Preservation Council. Milledgeville’s Convention and Visitors Bureau leads trolley tours of the property and numerous visitors pass through the grounds with cameras on a regular basis. Most of these people aren’t breaking any laws as exterior photography is allowed, but urban explorers who trespass inside these dangerous structures are the source of concern.

Cedar Lane Cemetery, Hardwick

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Three historic cemeteries (and two non-historic) are associated with the property around Central State Hospital, but without the efforts of employees who felt the lives of those who lived and died on these grounds deserved a dignified resting place, they would have most likely been lost to neglect. This post will focus on Cedar Lane Cemetery, which was historically known as the Asylum Cemetery. Within its 18+ acres are marble grave markers dating back as far as 1854. The exact date the cemetery was begun is unknown, but it was likely the late 1840s or early 1850s. The earliest burials of institutionalized people of the State Lunatic Asylum (as Central State Hospital was known at the time) were in Memory Hill Cemetery.

Thanks to the efforts of Bud Merritt and numerous volunteers, these metal “headboard markers” have been righted after many were buried over the years by bad management practices. I have talked extensively with Mr. Merritt about the process of “recovering” the cemetery and though he seeks no publicity for this enormous task, his insight and subsequent work on having the Central State Cemeteries added to the National Register of Historic Places, was crucial to their survival. Some of the markers are in their correct places, while others are not. All the markers feature a number that corresponded to a patient or prisoner’s name. It is a somber display, but makes one think of the conditions of those souls who spent large parts of their lives here.

At this time, I believe Cedar Lane is the only accessible of the Central State cemeteries. Typical of the time, African-American residents of Central State were segregated, even in death, and were buried in a cemetery of similar appearance.

As part of the process of reclaiming this sacred ground, a statue was commissioned and stands at the end of the lane of cedar trees which give the cemetery its modern name.

It was created in 2001by Don Haugen, a prominent sculptor who did commissions for U. S. presidents and other important figures. It is titled Angel of Milledgeville.

Central State Cemeteries, National Register of Historic Places

Queen Anne Cottage, Hardwick

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Central Hallway Cottage, Hardwick

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Hardwick is adjacent to the grounds of Central State Hospital.

Central State Hospital, Milledgeville

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Central Building [now known as the Powell Building]

The Georgia Lunatic Asylum opened on the outskirts of Milledgeville in 1842, its name only slightly more benign than the original “Lunatic, Idiot and Epileptic Asylum” conjured at its establishment in 1837. The need for such a facility was precipitated by the social reform movements popular in the early 19th century and at first, especially under the guidance of Dr. Thomas A. Green, patients were treated as humanely as possible. Green was responsible for attempting to humanize the plight of the asylum’s population, removing chains and restraints and even taking meals with them. Within its next century, though, the institution occupied over 200 buildings on nearly 2000 acres. At its peak, there were nearly 13,000 souls residing here, making it the largest state mental institution in the nation.

Walker Building


Unfortunately, after the Civil War, the institution experienced rapid growth, as many communities warehoused “undesirable” people from their communities to what was essentially a prison sentence at Milledgeville. This included thousands of veterans whose maladies deemed them impossible to treat in their resource-strained communities. This growth lead to a 100:1 physician to patient ratio that persisted for nearly a hundred years. In 1897, the facility came to be known as the Georgia State Sanitarium. But to most Georgians, it was simply known as “Milledgeville”. It was universally known in the state as a place to avoid. Walking the immense grounds today, one has to feel sorrow for the souls who were put away here, and a sense of anger at the horrible way we treated the mentally ill until the recent past.

Storehouse

By the 1960s, pharmaceutical advances helped reduce the number of patients who were subjected to such horrific treatments as electroshock therapy and lobotomies. For much of the 20th century, the institution was essentially an experimental laboratory of psychology, doing greater damage to its residents than good. The name of the property was changed to Central State Hospital in 1967 and by the 1970s, the population was in rapid decrease.

Auditorium

Today, fewer than 200 residents are in treatment here and a goal of phasing out the facility altogether is closer to reality. Most of the buildings are in ruin and while anyone is welcome to walk around the grounds, it’s illegal to enter any of the structures. A round-the-clock security team strictly enforces this mandate.