The New York State Inebriate Asylum, later known as Binghamton State Hospital, was the first institution designed and constructed to treat alcoholism as a mental disorder. Located in Binghamton, NY, its imposing Gothic Revival exterior was designed by New York architect Isaac G. Perry and construction was completed in 1864. In 1993 the main building was closed due to safety concerns. The asylum appears on both the state and national lists of Historic Places, but it is currently in a state of disrepair and is one of the most endangered historical places in the nation, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997. It is located at 425 Robinson Street, in Binghamton, New York and is owned by Upstate Medical University, Clinical Campus. The 1858 asylum is currently under phase 1 renovation, funded by 12.45 million dollars provided by the New York State Legislature. A Binghamton Clinical Campus Expansion Campaign Fund 04550 exists for Phase 2 renovation to serve as headquarters for the Binghamton Clinical Campus and physician assistant program. In 2015, Binghamton University announced it had taken stewardship of the building and will proceed with plans for rehabilitation of the building.
References
External links
- 2013 interior and exterior photos
- Castle on the Hill, commercial photography website
- 4 data pages on New York State Inebriate Asylum, at Historic American Buildings Survey
- American Insane Asylums. American Psychosurgery.
