Traverse City State Hospital

The Traverse City State Hospital of Traverse City, Michigan has been variously known as the Northern Michigan Asylum and the Traverse City Regional Psychiatric Hospital. It has for many years been called the "11th Street Academy". It is the last Kirkbride Building of Michigan's original four left in the state. History-

Northern Michigan Asylum was established in 1885 as the demand for a third psy

chiatric hospital, in addition to those established in Kalamazoo and Pontiac, began to grow. Lumber baron Perry Hannah, "the father of Traverse City," used his political influence to secure its location in his home town. Lloyd, the first building, known as Building 50, was constructed in Victorian-Italianate style according to the Kirkbride Plan. In 1963, the main 1885 center wing was destroyed because it was deemed a fire hazard and a new modern building was put up in its place. Under Dr. James Decker Munson, the first superintendent from 1885 to 1924, the institution expanded. Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients. All of the cottages except the northernmost are still standing. The institution became the city's largest employer and contributed to its growth. In the 1930s three large college-like buildings were constructed near the present site of the Munson Hospital parking deck and the Grand Traverse Pavilions. These buildings were demolished in 1995 because they were deemed "incompatible with reuse." Long before the advent of drug therapy in the 1950s, Munson was a firm believer in the "beauty is therapy" philosophy. Patients were treated through kindness, comfort, pleasure, and beautiful flowers provided year-round by the asylum's own greenhouses and the variety of trees Munson planted on the grounds. Restraints, such as the straitjacket, were forbidden. Also, as part of the "work is therapy" philosophy, the asylum provided opportunities for patients to gain a sense of purpose through farming, furniture construction, fruit canning, and other trades that kept the institution fully self-sufficient. The asylum farm began in 1885 with the purchase of some milk cows and within a decade grew to include pigs, chickens, milk and meat cows, and many vegetable fields. In the 1910s-30s, the farm was home to a world champion milk cow, Traverse Colantha Walker. Her grave is at the end of the dirt trail between the farm and the asylum. The farm closed in the late 1950s, and most of the farm buildings were destroyed by the state in the mid-1970s. Two large barns (constructed in 1901 and 1932) still stand on the south side of the hospital complex. There are plans to renovate these historic structures, though nothing has been done yet. The asylum also produced its own electricity and heat. In 1893, a shop building was built directly behind the center of building 50 (This was demolished in 1949 after being replaced by a larger power plant on the south side of the asylum grounds). The shop building generated steam to heat the asylum, and many of the steam tunnels that ran between the main building and shop still exist. However, the newer power plant, which is still standing, is to be renovated and turned into office space. While the hospital was established for the care of the mentally ill, its use expanded during outbreaks of tuberculosis, typhoid, diphtheria, influenza, and polio. It also cared for the elderly, served as a rehab for drug addicts, and was used to train nurses. During the mid-late 1980s, the institution saw a heavy influx of drug users who sought relief from their addictions. After Munson's retirement, James Decker Munson Hospital was established in his honor on the grounds in 1926, and was operated by the state well after his death and into the 1950s. It was then replaced by Munson Medical Center in the 1950s, the largest hospital in northern Michigan and one of the largest in the state. A portrait of Dr. Munson hangs inside the main lobby of Munson Medical Center. With the increasing success of drug therapies in the 1970s, many mental patients improved sufficiently that by the latter half of the decade the Kirkbride and the other Victorian buildings were vacant. This, in addition to changes in mental health care philosophy, the decline of institutionalization, and cuts in funding, forced the closure of the Traverse City Regional Psychiatric Hospital in 1989, with a loss of over 200 jobs to the local economy. Current Status -

Starting in 2000, The Minervini Group began negotiating with the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corporation and secured an agreement to renovate the historic buildings, which were in need of a major renovation. Their efforts have led to the gradual but successful preservation and re-use of the former Building 50 as part of The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a residential and commercial development. By 2005, the southernmost wing and Hall 20 (Phase One) were fully completed and in use. The 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) Mercato Phase of Building 50 was finished by fall 2008. Other buildings on the site were renovated for new uses including an urban winery, a fair trade coffee roaster, and a brick oven bakery that opened in fall 2007. In fall 2008 the Minervini group began renovation of some of the cottages, three of which became a hotel. The north wing of Building 50 is to be renovated in 2009. The company Jacob & associates are developing cottage 36 into apartments and as of 2012 it is done. A year around farmers market is outside in the summer while held in building 50 during winter. Sometimes The Minervini Group holds tours of the grounds. The farmstead that is owned by Garfield Twp. parks and rec's and will eventually be turned into a botanical garden. Taken from Wikipedia entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_City_State_Hospital#History

More information on Kirkbride architecture - http://www.kirkbridebuildings.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkbride_Plan

04/05/2024

"..City charter rules mean that building [the spire] taller than 60 feet would likely require a vote of the people, though Minervini says the design could be kept under 60 feet if necessary..."

Would you vote YES or no? why?

In other news:
The gardens at the The Cathedral Barn are showing signs of Spring with beautiful yellow tulips! Thanks to Matthew and his team for making a truly wonderful space we can all enjoy soon!

Will A Commons Spire Rise Again? Legend has it that the gorgeous central spire at the former Traverse City State Hospital was removed after the government staffers who worked there concocted a plan to convince their superiors that the structure was a major fire hazard. Their plan, so it’s been said, was to backdoor their way into...

08/17/2023

Transforming Memory: An Adaptive Reuse Studio for Three Kirkbride Plan Hospitals | The PreservationWorks If we were to erase all the structures in the world that have difficult pasts, there would be very little of the built environment to think with…

04/25/2023

From Preserve Greystone to the present, to what’s in store for us in the future, come join us and some very special guest panelists for a conversation on our organization and the Kirkbride Buildings we love.

01/30/2023

Insane Asylum (Part 3) Ronny Larson Ronny Larson was a patient at Traverse City State Hospital. (1965-1971)He was 12 when his parents committed him to the institution. Photo Courtesy of

11/20/2022

08/17/2022

Such a peaceful, idyllic setting in the foreground, with Winter's thick blanket covering everything, alongside the ever-moving Asylum creek. In the background we see traces of the Asylum/State Hospital.

I am not familiar enough with that area to make a determination as to which way we are looking, or which building is in the near distance. There is no date given, nor a photographer credit.

Image provided in collaboration with The Traverse Area District Library-Woodmere.

07/15/2022

What a view 😍

An interesting Black and white photo, dated 1894, photographer not given.

The overview is from atop the High School area at the Central School, looking West across that part of the City. The larger 'vent stack' in the foreground is from the original school built on those grounds.

In the far distance on the left is the newly built Asylum (9 years old as of this date).

It 'appears' that Elmwood is a 'boulevard', separated by trees, and ending at 7th Street on the north (right) end.
(Subsequent discussions reveal that what was first taken to be Elmwood is, in fact, the white wooden fence which bordered that part of the Asylum grounds.)

Image provided in collaboration with The Traverse Area District Library-Woodmere.

Photos from Traverse City State Hospital's post

06/23/2022

This weekend 24 years ago, the State of Michigan held a big sale of curios small and large from the TC State Hospital.

Did you go to the sale and purchase a part of history?
People came from all over Michigan and other states to purchase items. Some likely ended up in Antique shops or in private collections.

Let us know if you've come across any remnants of the former Northern Michigan Asylum/Traverse City State Hospital in your travels..

Courtesy of the Traverse Area Historical Society

06/03/2022

06/03/2022

You can't lose yourself in an old asylum if you have a tour guide, right? ..right? 👻

Flashlight tours are back.

Ever wondered what it's like to tour at night? Our ever-popular flashlight tours have returned, and they fill up fast. 🔦
Currently Mon-Wedn at 9pm, sign up: thevillagetc.com/tour

05/29/2022

Any way you slice it, this is going to be BIG.

20 Years Later: The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

05/18/2022

The Minervini Group 👏

20 Years Later: The Village at Grand Traverse Commons It was 20 years ago this month that the massive undertaking which eventually became the Village at Grand Traverse Commons got underway. “We took the title on May 6, 2002,” says Raymond Minervini of The Minervini Group, which has been working on the property since that date. His father Ray is lar...

Photos from The Village at Grand Traverse Commons's post

05/17/2022

Who else misses the old lightpoles?

05/06/2022

Thank you Ray Minervini and Raymond Minervini for 20 years of successful remediation and transformation of our beautiful landmark here in TC 👏

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

On this day in history: 20 years ago today, the Minervini Group acquired the Michigan State Hospital and transformed it into one of the most amazing examples of beautiful reuse for the community of Traverse City.

04/22/2022

Looking South. Silver Lake Road is visible in the top left corner 🔍

We have many different photos of the Asylum, though I'm not sure that we (or at least I) have shown this one before.

The photo is UNDATED and the photographer is unknown.

The photo is taken looking basically Southwesterly. Elmwood Avenue, with the Employees' Residence (today State Offices) can be seen along the bottom of the photo. Running along the upper left quadrant is Silver Lake Road.

Interesting to enlarge and study the various parts.

Image provided in collaboration with Traverse Area District Library Woodmere.

04/21/2022

If you didn't wear a facemask for covid - would you wear one for 5 hours in a Kirkbride 🤔

We're not judging.. just need something to hide the excitement!

Extended Tripod Photography Tour with Christian Van Antwerpen photography May 21st:

$100 • 5 Hours + lunch break• Ages 18+

The semi-guided TCSH Tripod Photography Tours give photographers of all levels a chance to respectfully explore various unrestored buildings that are not normally included on our Guided Historic Tour. Smaller groups are escorted through a variety of spaces such as basements and attics, with enough time to allow everyone opportunities to capture the building elements they find compelling. Sign up at thevillagetc.com/tour

04/21/2022

Join PreservationWorks with their spokesperson Dr. Robert Kirkbride guiding the conversation on the first live public forum about the national state of Kirkbride buildings. Topics include the beginnings of the PreservationWorks organization, current preservation efforts across the nation, and quite a few references to the successful reuse of our TC State Hospital too 😉

03/13/2022

Share your best winter images for a chance to be featured!

One of the only good things about winter: photos of Kirkbride buildings in the snow!

Share your favorite exterior (and legally taken, please) snowy Kirkbride photos here:

Photo taken by Christian J. VanAntwerpen

03/02/2022

Save this for your next adventure on the grounds!

📍 It's a question we often get asked here in The Village : how do I find my way around? For patients and staff during the days of the Traverse City State Hospital, roads named after colors were especially helpful for those who couldn't read. Need to find your way to Left Foot Charley Winery? Head down Red Drive until it intersects with Yellow.

Photos from Friends of the Historic Commons's post

02/01/2022

“We’re not acquiring the objects,” says Kathleen Steeves of The Asylum Roadshow and Friends of the Historic Commons. “We’re just creating a list — a database — of their existence. We just started this project…”

12/14/2021

📣Carriage rides are returning! Mark your calendars for Saturday and Sunday, December 18th and 19th. These dates will require pre-purchased tickets for time slots (12-4 Saturday, 10-2 Sunday) using the link below. Check-in at the B50 store prior to your scheduled time!

https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/thevillagetc/items/348435/calendar/2021/12/?flow=540973

11/06/2021

Post your most creative capture at the TCSH in the comments.

Traverse City State Hospital, Spring 2015
• emmakatka.com
• instagram.com/emmakatka

10/08/2020

"Class A Office space, situated above award winning Stella’s Restaurant...
Multiple 7 foot windows allow natural light overlooking the properties southern wetland area"

This kind of natural light isn't available just anywhere, people.

4 keys ~$180/mo each? And something about Fiber internet...where's all our entrepreneur millennials at?

Found here: https://www.thevillagetc.com/business-opportunities/

09/19/2020

‘Asylum After Dark’ tours to open at Traverse City’s former psychiatric hospital An old brick cottage that was part of the asylum will host heart-thumping tours in October.

10/08/2019

Where's the TC State Hospital version?!

Woo Hoo!!

03/04/2019

Former State Hospital Museum To Open While looking forward to continued redevelopment, Grand Traverse Commons will honor its former incarnation as the State Hospital through a new museum on the Commons campus. The museum is set to open by Memorial Day weekend. The idea came not from businesses or individuals associated with the Commons...

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http://www.thevillagetc.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_City_State_Hospital

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W Eleventh Street & Division
Traverse City, MI
49684

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