Contains annual reports for the Virginia Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the State Hospital Board, and Western State Hospital as well as all their earlier incarnations. The latest agency, board, and instution names found in the material are used here for simplification purposes. The reports and supplements are part of accessions 31030 and 41404.

Contains a variety of general files and meeting minutes created by and for the State Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services Board and all of its earlier incarnations. The history of the Board begins with the Court of Directors which was established as soon as the General Assembly approved construction of the asylum in 1825. In its earliest years, the directors met as frequently as necessary, sometimes several times each month. In later years, the meetings became monthly or bi-monthly. The Court of Directors was later renamed the Board of Directors, and its nine appointed members were required to meet on a quarterly basis. In 1903, the Board of Directors was replaced by a three-person group called the Special Board of Directors. This board answered to the newly-created General Board of Directors, which was composed of all the members of each hospital's Special Board. The General Board connected all of the state-run hospitals for the first time. In 1937 the individual Special Boards were abolished, and the General Board was renamed the State Hospital Board. This board consisted of seven members who were responsible for the management of all the state-run hospitals. This board was required to meet at least once each year at each hospital. In later years, the Board met on a monthly or twice-monthly basis. The State Hospital Board became the State Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board in 1973, and then the State Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services Board in 1987. All Board records created prior to 1937 are specific to Western State Hospital, while those created after 1937 include information on all of the state-run hospitals. For information on the Executive Committee (a subcommittee of the Western State Board of Directors), please see Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries G. Executive Committee Records, as well as Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries N. Reports. The items within the Board of Directors general files were found loose within accessions 31030 and 41404. The meeting minutes are part of accessions 31353, 31704, and 41404.

Contains office files and drawings pertaining to the hospital grounds, at both the New and Old Sites. The office files document maintenance and upkeep, insurance matters, building dedications, and other issues pertaining to the Western State Hospital facility and campus. It is unclear which office or person created and maintained the files, but they may have originated in the Office of the Superintendent. Of particular note are the Fire Insurance Inspection Reports which give detailed accounts of the structures present at the Old Site in the 1960s. The report includes information about the use of buildings, dates of construction, materials used, and value. Each structure is detailed individually, most have a photograph attached as well. Additional photographs of the buildings (exteriors and interiors) at the Old Site and New Site can be found in Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries K. Photographs and Slides. An older fireproofing report, including architectural renderings, can be found in this subseries under "Drawings and Plans." Some of the older files include handwritten documents describing the hospital's gas works, water system, and construction projects (Box 18, Folders 3, 5, 19, 26). Many of these documents were written by Thomas R. Blackburn, the building superintendent and former architectural student of Thomas Jefferson. Researchers interested in the early years of Western State should also consult Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries D. Correspondence, (Box 19, Folder 2) which contains several documents relating to the construction of the original hospital buildings. This file includes a rather detailed sketch of the early building and its dimensions drawn by Baltimore architect William Small. There are also several letters from the hospital gardener, William Wood, that describe his work on the grounds of the hospital (Box 53, Folder 15). Additional construction-related letters can be found in the 1890 correspondence file (Box 61, Folder 22). Meeting minutes for the Local Building Committee and its later incarnation, the Institutional Executive Committee, can be found in Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries I. Meeting Minutes. Additionally, an 1835 Building Committee report can be found in Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries N. Reports. Researchers should also note additional buildings and grounds records (1825-1873), including a workbook belonging to building superintendent, Thomas Blackburn, can be found in Series VI. Records Found at Eastern State Hospital (Accession 44812). Most of the drawings and plans are of buildings located at the New Site, many of which were done by the architectural firm of Marcellus Wright and Son. A few drawings of the Old Site are included, such as those of the proposed court yard area and canteen. The report on fireproofing includes an outdoor site plan and several architectural renderings of the wards. The material found in this subseries was originally part of accessions 41404 and 31030.

The files and drawings are arranged alphabetically.

Contains correspondence-related material including lists of correspondents, correspondence registers, postal and delivery records, general correspondence files, and the outgoing letter file of Dr. Joseph DeJarnette. The outgoing letter file was separated from the general correspondence because it arrived as its own separate entity within the collection. As a side note, lunacy and commitment papers that were originally housed with the correspondence can be found in Series IV. Patient Records, Subseries D. Commitment Records. The earliest correspondence files are part of accession 31030, while some letters (mostly post-1900) are part of accession 41404. The correspondence lists and registers, as well as Dr. DeJarnette's outgoing letters are part of accession 41404.

Contains account books, correspondence, personal files, and scrapbooks belonging to longtime hospital superintendent, Dr. Joseph S. DeJarnette and his wife Dr. Chertsey Hopkins DeJarnette. Dr. DeJarnette began as a physician at the hospital in 1889 and became superintendent in 1905. He was responsible for the planning and implementation of what would be called the DeJarnette State Sanatorium, constructed in 1932 to house patients who could afford to pay for their treatment. Dr. DeJarnette held the superintendency of both institutions until 1943 when he resigned as superindent of Western State. He remained the superintendent of the Sanatorium until 1947. Dr. DeJarnette was also an important figure in the eugenics and sterilization movements in Virginia. Additionally, Dr. Chertsey Hopkins DeJarnette is thought to have been one of the first licensed female psychiatrists in Virginia, having served as a physician at Western State from 1894-1906.

The account books are not clearly identified, but they seem to be personal in nature. Most of the volumes contain records of stocks and dividends, as well as the estate of Mrs. DeJarnette's sister, Nannette Hopkins. The correspondence files contain letters to and from Dr. DeJarnette in relation to personal matters to include topics such as the hospital, poetry, and state government issues. Much of the later correspondence deals with Dr. DeJarnette's transition as head of DeJarnette Sanatorium, and problems encountered by a would-be reformer by the name of Reverend W. Carroll Brooke. Several folders of correspondence belonging to Dr. DeJarnette's wife Chertsey are also included, as well as material pertaining to her younger sister Orra Hopkins. The personal files contain mostly insurance documents and financial records. The folders labeled "Scrapbook" contain material found in three scrapbooks presumably put together by recent Western State Hospital staff. It is not known whether the material was originally in scrapbook form, or if the placement in binders was done arbitrarily at a later date. The first scrapbook contains letters of congratulation upon Dr. DeJarnette's fiftieth anniversary with Western State Hospital in 1939. Also included are invitations, telegrams and newspaper clippings. The second book contains miscellaneous ephemera such as birthday, Christmas, and anniversary greeting cards, letters, and poetry. The third contains mostly poetry, some written by Dr. DeJarnette himself, others from newspaper clippings, and some that was sent to him by mail. The scrapbook material was removed from the binders for preservation purposes.

It is unclear why this personal material was maintained and included as part of the Western State Hospital collection. However, much of the material relates directly to the hospital and Dr. DeJarnette's tenure as superintendent. It also provides a personal glimpse into a revered and controversial figure in Western State's history. Additional work-related DeJarnette correspondence can be found in the previous correspondence sections within this series. These personal files are part of accessions 41404 and 45553.

The ledgers and files are arranged alphabetically.

Contains ledgers and other material pertaining to employment and personnel activities. The absence ledger contains lists of male ward employees and what seem to be requests for days off from work. The Registration Books also document employee absences. The Employees Handbook contains helpful information for new employees. It covers pay, leave, retirement, and health insurance information, and provides descriptions of the duties performed by each department of the hospital. The Time Books contains monthly accounts of work attendance by each ward's regular attendants. This book accounts for male ward employees only. The three later volumes contain what appear to be monthly accounts of work attendance by those employed in the business office. The Weekend Book contains several miscellaneous sections of notes and short entries about weekend personnel activities, followed by a list of nurse supervising duties and a list of representative meetings. The telephone directories contain at-work contact information for employees of Western State, as well as numbers for general and designated work areas. The records in this series are part of accession 41404.

Arranged alphabetically.

Contains four volumes of Executive Committee meeting minutes and information about committee activities. The Executive Committee was composed of a small number of members of the Western State Court of Directors (Board of Directors). The committee met on a monthly basis and was responsible for reviewing the superintendent's reports, auditing the steward's monthly expense accounts, and overseeing other matters that arose between Board meetings. For additional information about the Board of Directors and its duties, please see Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries B. Board of Directors Records. For reports of the Executive Committee, please see Series I. Administrative Records, Subseries N. Reports. The Executive Committee records are part of accession 41404.

Arranged chronologically.

Contains subject and miscellanous files found throughout the Western State Hosptial collection. The files consist of a variety of material including limited correspondence, memos, working papers, and other related documents pertaining to a particular subject or person. The files were most likely maintained by the hospital superintendent or his office staff, but in some cases the origin is unknown. Many files contain only one document, while other subjects fill several folders. The title of "General Files" was given in order to encompass all of the subject files, as well as lone and/or miscellaenous documents found in the collection. These files are part of accessions 31030, 31353, 31704, and 41404.

The files are separated by the century in which they were created, and then alphabetically within.

Restricted: Meeting minutes containing patient names and information that are less than 125 years old. Some records may require review by an archivist and/or redaction (if it is possible) before they are served. Contains meeting minutes from various Western State Hospital committees. The minutes contain information about administrative