A Guide to the Western Lunatic Asylum [Staunton, Virginia] Collection, 1840-1903 (bulk 1840-1868)
A Collection in
Special Collections
Collection Number
Ms2016-021
![[logo]](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/vt.jpg)
Special Collections, Virginia Tech
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
USA
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Email: specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/
2017 ( CC0 1.0 )
Processed by: Katie Herring, Student Assistant , Leeann Jones, Student Assistant, and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist, Special Collections
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Western Lunatic Asylum Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Western Lunatic Asylum Collection, Ms2016-021, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
The Western Lunatic Asylum [Staunton, Virginia] Collection was purchased in three separate accession between August and November of 2016. Additional materials were acquired in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Additional letters may be received in the future.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Western Lunatic Asylum Collection was completed in December 2016. Additional arrangement and description was completed in April 2018. 2018 and 2019 accessions were processed on a rolling basis and the finding aid was updated in June 2019.
Historical Note
Originally called the Western State Lunatic Asylum, the Western Lunatic Asylum was a hospital for the mentally ill in Staunton, Virginia, opening in 1828. In its early years, the institution was a resort-style asylum, directed under Dr. Francis T. Stribling. Dr. Stribling promoted a clean, healthy, and kind atmosphere that would aid in the healing process of his patients. While Dr. Stribling was the director of the hospital, patients were well cared for and treated with respect.
Scope and Content
The Western Lunatic Asylum Collection includes correspondence written to the Western Lunatic Asylum in Staunton, Virginia, dating from 1840 to about 1870, as well as final year reports from 1862 and 1903. The correspondece relates to the Western Lunatic Asylum in Staunton, Virginia, and most of the letters are written to Dr. Francis T. Stribling, the director of the Western Lunatic Asylum, by family members of patients concerning their care. One of the letters isn't written to Dr. Stribling, but he is mentioned in the letter.
Arrangement
The correspondence in this collection is arranged in chronological order. The annual reports are in a separate folder.
Index Terms
- Folk, historical, and patent medicine
- Health
- Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
- Medicine
- Staunton (Va.)
- Stribling, Francis T. (Francis Taliaferro), 1810-1874
- Western Lunatic Asylum (Va.) (1828-?)
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Persons:
Corporate Names:
Contents List
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 2
Undated correspondence
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 3 Folder oversize: 1 1840-1844
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 4 1845-1849
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 5 1850-1851
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 6 1852
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 7 1853
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 8 1854
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 9 1855
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 10 1856
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 11 1857
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 12 1858
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 13 1859
- Box-Folder 1 folder: 14 1868