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Established 1855
No photographs of the buildings are available on this page, aside from the air photo below. At right is the Kirkbride building in a small section of a map of the entire facility. Click on the image to see the entire map.
St Elizabeths is located in/near the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC. It is still in use as a mental institution. A major street, Martin Luther King, runs through the middle of the campus, but the historic Kirkbride main building,like most of the facility, is not visible from the street and is not otherwise accessible to the public (this is a rather secure facility).
The main building, built in the Kirkbride plan, was designed in the "Gothic Revival" style, and is a national landmark. From the map and photo, the classic Kirkbride outline is easy to see. From indications, the building is in good shape, and has not suffered the fate of other surviving Kirkbrides: there are no major alterations, partial demolitions, or additions apparent.
Other highlights of the grounds include "The Point", a soaring hillside with a panoramic view of the nation's capital. Famous residents include poet Ezra Pound, and attempted assassin John Hinkley.
On October 1, 1987, Saint Elizabeths Hospital is transferred to the District of Columbia government pursuant to P.L. 98-621, The St. Elizabeths Hospital and the D.C. Mental Health Services Act of 1984.
Martin Luther King Avenue was formerly known as Nichols Avenue (after former Hospital superintendent Charles Henry Nichols), and before that Asylum Road.
Preservation Group:
"The Friends of St Elizabeths"
No other information available at this time.