Allentown State Hospital
Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Pennsylvania’s first state hospital to treat mental illness through homeopathy. Dr. Solomon C. Fuller, first African American psychiatrist, served as a consulting pathologist at ASH. In 1930 the Children’s Institute opened under the direction of Dr. Henry Klopp, one of the first of its kind. In 1999 ASH became the first state hospital to end the use of patient seclusion, gaining international importance for its Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Allentown State Hospital opened as Pennsylvania's first state institution to treat mental illness through homeopathic medicine, part of a national movement to give the mentally ill dedicated care. Among those who worked here was Dr. Solomon C. Fuller, the first African American psychiatrist, who served as a consulting pathologist, and in 1930 a pioneering Children's Institute opened under Dr. Henry Klopp. In 1999 the hospital drew international attention as the first state facility to abandon patient seclusion in favor of its Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams.
Why it matters
The hospital's history traces the long American struggle to treat mental illness humanely, from 19th-century reform ideals to the modern movement away from restraint and seclusion.
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Related people
- · Dr. Solomon C. Fuller
- · Dr. Henry Klopp
Themes & tags
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