Dorothea Dix Hospital
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Dorothea Dix Hospital. Authorized 1849, largely through work of Dorothea L. Dix, crusader for better care of the mentally ill. 500 yards southwest.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Authorized in 1849, this was North Carolina's first public hospital for the mentally ill, created largely through the tireless campaigning of reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix. Horrified by the jailing and neglect of the mentally ill, Dix pressed legislatures across the nation to build humane asylums. The Raleigh hospital that bore her name grew from her crusade.
Why it matters
Dix's work helped launch a national reform movement that redefined mental illness as a medical condition deserving care rather than punishment.
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Related people
- · Dorothea Dix
Related events
- · Authorization of the state hospital for the mentally ill, 1849
Themes & tags
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