Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/680

 552 The Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [Mar., sessed of desirable natural beauties, both in Europe and this country. Some of our youngest States have shown a com- mendable zeal in this matter. At St. Peter's, Minnesota, there is a State Lunatic Asylum, in course of con- struction, of an extent that would sur- prise many of our older States. But we now claim the reader's attention to the proposed Asylum for the Insane in the State of New Jersey, of which the accompanying illustrations are the per- spective view and plan of one story, which we will now proceed to describe. The extent of front is near 1,200 feet between the extremes, equally divided into Male and Female Departments. Each department will have fourteen separate and distinct wards, having free access to the grounds, independent of each other. The building, throughout, will be three stories high, excepting the extreme wings, which are intended for the most excited patients. Those wings are but two stories high, with attics to the re- turns, and are calculated to accommodate about six hundred patients altogether. Each Department will consist of three distinct parallel wings, every one of which will extend back sixty feet beyond its neighbor, with returns connecting them together. The third return will extend back two hundred feet. Adjoin- ing this are the two-storied extensions, forming the sides of a hollow square. By this arrangement, the corridors are open to the light at each end, and are, consequently, only the length of a single ward, with an alcove in the centre of each, facing the front, which answers two purposes : It lights the centre, and, at the same time, affords a pleasant sit- ting-room for the patients, overlooking the grounds in front. Each ward has two flights of easy staircases ; one at each end. One of these is at the front, and the other at the rear. The latter communicates with the pleasure-grounds allotted to the patients. This plan is repeated in every ward. Each has its own dining-room, lavatory, and a porch which communicates with the corridor through the lavatory. Each porch is entirely private, and cut off from view, except from the windows of the ward to which it belongs. A is the Centre Building, containing the necessary accommodations for the medical and other officers of the institu- tion. The medical visits are greatly facilitated by the position and number of the sfairs, and access to all parts of the institution by pli3'sicians, attend- ants, &c, rendered eas}^. One story is appropriated exclusively to the use of the Medical Superintendent in Chief, and his family. This building is isolated from the main structure, except the con- nection of a corridor, with the main centre of the hospital building. This occurs on each story ; and forms a junc- tion with a cross corridor that connects with those of the wards. At the junc- tion first named are two parlors, right and left, for friends to visit patients. The patient enters the parlor from the cross corridor, and the visitor from the main one. The cross corridor has screen doors, to prevent free communication be- tween the two great parts of the Hospital. B is the Chapel Building, in the rear of the centre. The first and second story of this are occupied by the em- ployes ; one story for the men, and the other for the women, with a corridor through each. The Chapel occupies all the space above. C C is the Amusement Hall, and on the same level with the Chapel floor. The first floor of this building is occu- pied as Trunk-rooms, and general Store- rooms. The second story is for the Apothecary's rooms, and is so arranged that the attendants receive their medi- cines, without entering the centre, be- yond the limits of the screen doors in the corridors. The entrance to the chapel is through the Amusement Hall, by separate doors : one for men, and an- other for women, with a centre door for the officers and visitors.