Austin State Hospital
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
While Texas was a frontier state and psychiatry a pioneer venture, the Texas Legislature in 1856 created this hospital for the mentally ill; in 1925, named Austin State Hospital. Oldest Texas mental hospital. Construction began in 1857. The institution, then housed in the Administration Building, was opened May 11, 1861, with about a dozen patients and has continued to be dedicated to mental health programs. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1856, when Texas was still a frontier state and psychiatry a young and uncertain field, the legislature created a hospital for the mentally ill here. Construction began in 1857, and the institution opened in May 1861 with about a dozen patients housed in its Administration Building. Renamed Austin State Hospital in 1925, it remains the oldest mental hospital in Texas.
Why it matters
The hospital marks an early, pioneering attempt to bring organized care for mental illness to a frontier society.
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