Topeka State Hospital, Topeka, Kansas

(Posted by Kaitlynn Littlefield)

Topeka State Hospital opened in 1872. The hospital followed the Kirkbride design, with a bat-wing style shape that accommodated hundreds of large windows and narrow corridors. It was designed to allow for outside access, walking privileges, and adequate air circulation. As shown in the pictures posted below, the hospital included a large main hospital that has turrets and balconies, as well as several large in-patient buildings that boasted large windows with outdoor views of over 80 acres of gardens and forrest.

When Topeka State Hospital opened, it was a publicly funded hospital that promised treatment and care of individuals who had been diagnosed with a mental illness in Topeka, Kansas. Patients were admitted shortly after it opened, as Osawatomie State Hospital, the original hospital in Kansas that catered to individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses, become overcrowded. Patients were admitted for several reasons, though many of them had been convicted of a crime. Those who were not charged as being “criminally insane” where frequently diagnosed as having anxiety, depression, psychosis, and even “incurably insanity.” The individuals who were admitted were initially treated with at least some dignity and respect. They were reportedly encouraged to work during their treatment by gardening, assisting with the building of new units in the hospital, and sewing. The superintendent, Dr. Barnard Douglass Eastman, noted publicly that he believed that the patients should be rehabilitated while at the hospital. The patients mainly came from towns throughout Kansas, though it is possible that patients were admitted from across state lines as well. Unfortunately, this theory was not long-lasting. Quickly, Topeka State Hospital gained a reputation for “relaxed” admission requirements. Spouses and families were allowed to admit their loved ones even without a diagnosis, and they were not required to participate in the patient’s care upon admitting them. Patient narratives exist within reports written by under cover reporters and by the Kansas Board of Health.

The patients who were admitted to Topeka State Hospital were subjected to harsh, cruel, and unusual treatment. According to reports by Harry Levinson in the 1948, patients were frequently starved, beaten, and even raped. They were given experimental brain surgeries and electric shock treatments after severe neglect. Beginning in 1913, Kansas passed a Sterilization Law and the hospital forcibly sterilized the patients the staff deemed appropriate until 1961. Visitation with loved ones were often restricted, and thousands of patients were buried over a century in unmarked graves. Furthermore, when a patient were deemed “criminally insane,” the state of Kansas was allowed to take ownership of their estate. The state, on several documented occasions, petitioned for, and was granted, ownership of the patients’ money and land. The treatment of patients did not get better or improve over time, and after years of lawsuits, complaints, and overcrowding issues, Topeka State Hospital closed in 1997.

Topeka State Hospital housed thousands of patients during the years it was open, and it leaves a cemetery of over 1,150 unmarked graves still on its grounds. It is unclear how many individuals were employed by the hospital, as patient and staff records from 1872-1970 have been sealed.

The hospital was publicly known for many decades as one of abuse and overcrowding. As patients began to speak of their situations while in inpatient care, reports took notice. As noted above, Harry Levinson wrote a report entitled “A Study in Neglect” in 1948 to bring light to the abuse, neglect, and death occurring within the hospital’s walls. A second report, written by former Kansas Governor Frank Carlson, also helped to prompt reform to Topeka State Hospital. These reports did not eliminate the abuse taking place, but it did bring it to the public’s attention. Reports of abuse and mistreatment of staff began to surface starting in 1992, when a therapist at the hospital, Stephanie Uhlrig, was murdered by a patient on hospital grounds. Several staff members in later years also sued the hospital for sexual harassment and hostile work environments. When the hospital lost its accreditation to receive federal Medicare and Medicaid payments, it was quickly slated to close. The hospital was demolished in 2010.

From what I have found, I would not under any circumstances choose to be a patient at what used to be Topeka State Hospital. It appears that the staff were not only abusive, but they were also intentionally cruel, irresponsible, and callous with human life. I would not wish this treatment on anyone. I am grateful that this institution is not only no longer in business, but was leveled and demolished.

For additional reading and information, please see:

Hauschild, B. (1979). On the Avenue of Approach. Topeka, KS: Topeka State Hospital.

Kansas Health Institute. (2016). Kansas’ treatment of those with mental illness was a ‘study in neglect’ decades ago. Retrieved from https://www.khi.org/news/article/a-study-of-neglect 

Kansas Historical Society. (2019). Topeka State Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.kshs.org/p/topeka-state-hospital-cemetery/11317