City on the Hill - Harrisburg State Hospital

11/30/2025

Demo progress as of Nov 29, 2025

Willow Oak continues to disappear. Not much else has changed.

The campus is closed to the public and any trespassers will be prosecuted. Capital Police and PA State Police are patrolling the grounds.

11/26/2025

New full length building video is live on my YouTube channel.

Exploring the 1887 Harrisburg State Hospital Laundry Tower Building.Constructed in 1887 at a cost of $45,000, this building replaced the hospital's first boi...

11/16/2025

Demolition and stabilization progress as of Nov 15, 2025.

A little bit more of Willow Oak has been demolished. Interior work is still happening in Hilltop. Window removal is in progress on Hillcrest. The tunnel next to the Chapel has been removed.

The campus is closed to the public and any trespassing will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Capital Police and PA State Police are patrolling the grounds.

11/10/2025

The Main Building was one of the earliest insane asylums in the United States built following the Kirkbride Plan. Construction of the building started between July and October of 1848 and was completed in 1851 at a cost of $169,000. Designed by John Haviland, the building was originally designed to hold 300 patients, but with the addition of infirmaries the capacity increased to 400 patients. The Main Building served the hospital for only fifty years. It was considered by many to be poorly designed and a fire hazard. So at the turn of the 20th century the building was systematically demolished, starting with the administration section, and a short time later the patient wards. Read more: https://hsh.thomas-industriesinc.com/Building_Kirk.htm

11/09/2025

Demolition and stabilization progress as of Nov 9, 2025.

Not too much had changed since last weekend. A little bit more of Willow Oak has been demolished. Interior work is still happening in Hilltop and Hillcrest.

The campus is closed to the public and any trespassing will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Capital Police and PA State Police are now involved and patrolling the grounds.

11/08/2025

Male attendants - May 6, 1932 - Photo courtesy of Patricia Taylor

11/07/2025

Feb 16, 1841 - Daily Pennsylvania Telegraph and Legislative Register
A small write-up about the creation of Harrisburg State Hospital.

11/03/2025

The Married Employee home is gone. Groundwork is still ongoing where the kitchen and Cedarcrest were. Willow Oak demolition has started. Eaton is waiting to ...

11/03/2025

Demolition and stabilization progress as of Nov 2, 2025.

The Married Employee home is gone. Groundwork is still ongoing where the kitchen and Cedarcrest were. Willow Oak demolition has started. Eaton is waiting to be demolished once Willow Oak is done. Interior work is still under way in Hilltop and Hillcrest. A large solar panel array has been installed to power the chapel.

The campus is closed to the public and any trespassing will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Capital Police and PA State Police are now involved and patrolling the grounds.

10/30/2025

A couple of years ago, I was contacted by the DHS about a little project that they want to do in their conference rooms in one of the downtown buildings. My photos of several HSH buildings now hang in the conference rooms. With almost all the former hospital buildings now gone, it is really great to see this. It will help keep the memory of HSH alive.

10/28/2025

Who remembers the pull lever cigarette machines?

10/26/2025

Not much to report this week. Married employees home is gone but nothing else has changed. I assume they will start demo on Willow Oak this week.