 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2008) |
Athens State Hospital | |
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| Location | Athens, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Built | 1868 |
| Architect | Levi T. Scofield |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002936[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1980 |
The Athens Lunatic Asylum, now a mixed-use development known as The Ridges[2], was a Kirkbride Plan mental hospital operated in Athens, Ohio, from 1874 until 1993. During its operation, the hospital provided services to a variety of patients including Civil War veterans, children, and those declared mentally unwell. After a period of disuse the property was redeveloped by the state of Ohio. Today, The Ridges are a part of Ohio University and house the Kennedy Museum of Art as well as an auditorium and many offices, classrooms, and storage facilities.
The former hospital is perhaps best known as a site of the infamous lobotomy procedure, as well as various supposed paranormal sightings. After the hospital's original structure closed, the state of Ohio acquired the property and renamed the complex and its surrounding grounds The Ridges. According to The Guide of Repository Holdings,[3] the term "The Ridges" was derived from a naming contest in 1984 to re-describe the area and its purpose.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "The Ridges | Athens | Ohio University". www.ohio.edu. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ McCabe, Doug (1993). Athens Lunatic Asylum aka "The Ridges": A Guide to Repository Holdings. Alden Library - Ohio University - Athens, OH: Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections.