A tour of one of Indiana’s remaining Psychiatric Hospitals
But there were even more opportunities for patients to make a difference in their lives and the lives of Hoosiers through the “Industrial Activities” mentioned in 1912 from earlier in this article, as thus, the Industrial Building was constructed in 1921 for a cost of $14,399.83.
The Industrial Building today remains a highlight of the Indiana “asylum.” Our payroll and procurement departments, as well as other essential industrial functions like our print-shop and key-fashioning equipment are located within this building. The spacious, brightly-lit, and airy rooms are a rare treasure for a productive work environment. Within these walls, patients learned and practiced multiple skills that were practical and marketable, including basket-weaving, loom-weaving, furniture-making, wood-carving, and other valuable tools. Thanks to this building and our greenhouses, the hospital was able to host the widely successful Annual Chrysanthemum Show and Occupational Therapy Exhibit that drew as many as 3,000 visitors. Patrons could browse and purchase between any number of floral arrangements, high-quality period chairs and tables, hand-woven baskets, lavish rugs, wood carvings, and other novelties and decorations over a two-day period all proudly produced and sold by patients.
