Central State Hospital named a Place in Peril
Scott Thompson
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Features
The complex currently covers 1,750 acres and remains the largest mental health hospital in Georgia. By the 1950s, Central State had reached its peak, housing around 13,000 patients.
"It was by far the biggest employer in Milledgeville at the time," Wilson said.
Central State began to decline in the 1960s with the addition of several regional institutions as well as increased availability of medications and community mental health programs. Currently efforts are being made to restore the facility's cemeteries, which have been featured on NBC's "The Today Show."
The Powell Building, named after Superintendent Theophilius Powell who served from 1879 to 1907, is the central building and is still in use. The big threats come with several vacant buildings that have been neglected. Several roofs have collapsed, which if left untreated, could lead to deterioration. As a result the buildings are structurally unstable.
Wilson said that GCSU students are currently organizing efforts in attempts to preserve the facility's history. In addition, the old train depot contains a museum with relics from Central State.
"Central State is the longest, most enduring institution (in Milledgeville)," Wilson said. "It has a rich history that needs to be preserved and is certainly worth preserving."
"It was by far the biggest employer in Milledgeville at the time," Wilson said.
Central State began to decline in the 1960s with the addition of several regional institutions as well as increased availability of medications and community mental health programs. Currently efforts are being made to restore the facility's cemeteries, which have been featured on NBC's "The Today Show."
The Powell Building, named after Superintendent Theophilius Powell who served from 1879 to 1907, is the central building and is still in use. The big threats come with several vacant buildings that have been neglected. Several roofs have collapsed, which if left untreated, could lead to deterioration. As a result the buildings are structurally unstable.
Wilson said that GCSU students are currently organizing efforts in attempts to preserve the facility's history. In addition, the old train depot contains a museum with relics from Central State.
"Central State is the longest, most enduring institution (in Milledgeville)," Wilson said. "It has a rich history that needs to be preserved and is certainly worth preserving."
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