The history of the first inebriate asylum in the world / by its founder [Jonathan Edward Turner]. An account of his indictment, also a sketch of the Woman's national hospital, by its founder.

  • Turner, J. Edward, 1822-1889.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of the first inebriate asylum in the world / by its founder [Jonathan Edward Turner]. An account of his indictment, also a sketch of the Woman's national hospital, by its founder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    THE BUILDINGS. The style of architecture in Avhich the hospital is to be built is of the castellated gothic, with massive towers, tur- rets and buttresses embattled at the top. *The design of the buildings combines prominence with neatness and beauty. All the exterior walls of the buildings are to be of stone. The interior and partition walls are to be of brick. The length of the five buildings, which will comprise the asylum edifice, will be fourteen hundred and fifty-three feet. The buildings will be ventilated by nine hundred and fifty fines, of suffiicent capacity to displace the air in the hospital every three minutes. The rooms will be lighted with gas and heated by steam. The air ducts in which the steam-pipes will be placed for heating the hospital are located beneath the corri- dor floors of the basement, and will be seven feet high, nine feet wide, and fourteen hundred and fifty-three feet long. All the flues in the buildings will be constructed in the middle walls, and are to be so arranged as to receive the heat and air from the air duct. The institution when completed will be divided into ten wards of twenty-two rooms each for patients. These rooms will be eleven feet wide, seventeen feet long, and twelve feet high. The library room is to be located in the transept of the west building, and will be sixty feet long, twenty-eight feet wide, and sixteen feet high, with a capacity for accommodating twenty thousand volumes. The chapel will be in the third story of the transept, and when finished will seat five hundred persons. The dimensions are to be as follows: eighty-two feet long, thirty-seven feet, six * The architect of tlie New York State luebriate .Vsylum, Mr. Isaac G. Perry, was introduced to the writer in 1855 by Dr. Gardner, an old friend of his when a boy. He was then working at his trade in the city of New York as house carj)enter and stair-builder, having had but little experience as an architect. After several conversations with him the writer gave him thestyle and dimensions of the proposed building, the division of its wards, and the dimensions of all its rooms. lYider his direction Mr. Perry develo]ied the plans of the Asylum, and they were ])re.sented to the board of ti'ustees for their approval. Dr. Francis suggested that the basement of the building be raised eleven feet, and this suggestion was adopted. A discussion followed as to Mr. Perry’s ability and experience as an architect, the majority detdar- ing that they did not justify tlie board in employing hiin ujion a work of such magnitude, but timt, if the wi-iter would be responsible for mi,stakes made by him, they w'ould vote to acce])t his ]ilans. ilr. I’erry agreed, in the event of his ai)])ointment, to draw all the working ]ilans, and to sujierintend the construction of the Asylum at two ])ercent conpieusation on the cost. On these conditions Mr. Perry was ap])ointed ai'chitect. He proved himself entirely competent. Not a change was made in the plans, and not a brick or stone altered after being once laid, Mr. Perry thus winning in this his first work, a re])utation which brought him consiiicuously before the juiblic. The Asylum w'as built by the day's work with the exception of the basement of the west building.