We can all picture the creepy old “mental asylum.” It’s a popular image in film, television and the occasional horror novel. It’s a spooky and appealing archetype that people are drawn to. The pop history behind what has happened in these locations and the rumors of hauntings and creepy happenings is what keeps the populace interested in them.
Anoka is home to one of the first mental institutes built in this state. And today its collection of historic buildings is in jeopardy.
The First State Asylum for the Insane was built in 1899, funded by the state of Minnesota. It opened its doors in 1900 and was filled with patients from the overflowing hospital in St. Peter. By 1909, the Anoka facility was female-only.
While still participating in the limited science and therapies at the time, First State Asylum was one of the more humanely run mental institutions in the country. The patients were given exceptional care for the time. They were kept busy with farming, sewing and quilting, among other jobs. Along with the work, the women were seen at the on-site beauty parlor once or twice a week. Manicures and facial treatments as well as shampooing were performed on the patients. Movies were also a common treat, as well as picnics and religious services.
Actively part of community
First State Asylum was also an integral member of community. Not only did it provide hundreds of jobs to the people of Anoka, such as nursing, cafeteria staff, etc. The institute was invited to join in the city’s most popular civic celebration, the Anoka Halloween celebration. In 1941, the asylum, now known as Anoka State Hospital, had its very own float in the wildly popular Anoka Halloween Grand Day Parade. The float featured patients and nurses alike and was described as “outstanding in weirdness” by the local paper the following day.
Anoka State Hospital in the mid-20th century, while no vacation spot, still had humane treatment at the forefront of its care. In 1949, Minnesota Gov. Luther Youngdahl attended the Anoka Halloween celebration to speak about the end of the inhumane treatment of patients in asylums across the state. He gave a rousing speech calling for the end of statewide abuse and poor treatment to our mentally ill. Under a full moon on Halloween night at the end of his speech, Youngdahl lit fire to a pile of straight-jackets, canvas mittens and other horrifying restraints.
This beacon of mental health, this historic collection of buildings known as “cottages” is now teetering on the edge of possible destruction. While still in use, and now called the Metro-Regional Treatment Center, the institution has been given to Anoka County by the state of Minnesota. Anoka County, it seems, is failing to see the reasons to keep the buildings.
Concern about renovation costs
The cost of renovation is what is weighing on the mind of county officials. The roofs alone are estimated to cost up to $1 million to repair. However, it seems that the demolition of these buildings would cost just as much when looking at the safe disposal of the hazardous materials used to build the structures back in 1899. These materials, when not moved or altered in any way, remain safe once a simple sealing process is performed, but once moved around, become dangerous and require disposal in certain lined landfills. Once an Environmental Impact Study and Hazardous Audit are performed, more will be known about the environmental implications if these buildings were to be demolished.
I believe the history and the importance of this location greatly outweighs whatever the cost and plans for this location may be in the future. Anoka is a unique city. We are historic and proud of that fact, and clearly Anoka has given so much to the state of Minnesota where health care is concerned. The uses for these cottages are numerous and the funds can be raised to help save them.
City, community want buildings saved
The city wants these saved, the community wants these saved, and I believe the more people who know about the history of this location and the inherent beauty of these cottages will also want them saved.
Minnesota’s history is everywhere. However, it is quickly disappearing at every turn. I believe an unfortunate precedent would be set in the city of Anoka if these cottages were to be demolished only to make way for another chain retail location or another housing development.
Historical preservation is important, and a location with this much history deserves to be saved. Once we forget what we have been given we forget where we are going.
Roxy Orcutt is a writer who lives in Anoka and runs the popular website The Halloween Honey.
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If you’re interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing a letter or a longer-form Community Voices commentary. (For more information about Community Voices, email Susan Albright at salbright@minnpost.com.)
No point
There’s no point in preserving the institution if it is not going to be used as it was intended. Nobody can say our current “mainstreaming” policies, with large portions of the mentally ill now residing in prison, has been successful. Profitable for some yes, but not for the society.
Saving Anoka State Hospital
I am a resident of Anoka and I would hate to see these grand structures town down. I’ve driven through the campus many times admiring the beautiful architecture of the old buildings. The enormous old trees mixed with the beauty of the Rum River flowing quietly by…it are a tranquil place to visit. I have often thought that the buildings should be converted into apartments. Each floor could be 1 or up to 4 large apartment homes with exposed brick walls common with loft style apartments. The campus could also be turned into unique shops. Anoka is home to some of the loveliest antique and vintage shops! It could be a whole village of coffee shops, wine and cheese shops, antiques and craft stores. It could easily become a large competitor to the Stillwater area. Either way…the investment would definitely bring revenue to the city. Anoka is definitely growing! The City has changed for the better over the last 20 years that I have lived there. It is one of the last well preserved “towns” in the metropolitan area. None the less…I sincerely hope the County/City Officials or some private investors decide to invest in the campus of the Anoka State Hospital rather than simply tear it down…
What happened to reduce, reuse, recycle?
I love old buildings, I live in one. They are part of the answer to fixing sprawl and help a community maintain a sense of place.
Recently I had an opportunity to look for grant sources for the documentation and the restoration and repair of a national register building in Greater Minnesota. I was shocked at how few grants there were. To be truthful I found three that might actually pay for the paper work and necessary remediation so that the building could continue in use. Both of those required a hefty documentation process to apply for. In greater Minnesota that “paperwork” money is hard to come by. The only two public funding sources came from dedicated funds from LSOH and I think Lottery Funds.
In the metro area I understand that the met council has some funding. We really need to step up with these older buildings, particularly the ones that are built to commercial standards. We don’t need another Lost Twin Cities or Lost Minnesota book.
This is a great campus.
Funding Sources
You can check to see if a Legacy grant would work for your documentation process. For grants under $7000 the application process is pretty simple and easy to administer. The Historical Society is the place to start there.
Also check with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) as they’re a great resource. I’ve worked with them quite a bit to get grants to fix up Fort Snelling.
http://www.mnpreservation.org/
Thanks Todd those are great resources
That is where I found the information on one of the two grants I found.
DEED also has a remediation program that can be used on any building.
Looking at the Hill Reference Library for grant sources I did identify about 7-8 that would work for the rehabilitation but not the documentation.
Because remediation reports and removal monitoring can be used to assign liability for future damages should they occur they are not cheap. The estimated cost was around 50k for the report, monitoring and paperwork. And in small communities Greater Minnesota money that is a large sum.
History
In my opinion every effort should be made to preserve this campus if for no other reason than to maintain a piece of history. Too often people look at a gorgeous old building and shrug, saying it’ll be cheaper to bulldoze it under and build something new. But they’re missing a very important point: a new building does not provide a touchstone to the past. There’s nothing like a landmark to provide continuity to a community, a place that everyone knows as a common reference point. “Take a right at the restaurant that looks like a fish, go down one block, and you’re there.” It provides a touch point for the entire community and gives them a sense of place.
My home town of Mound tore down the old high school years ago. This was a building put up about 1917 and generations of students went there, including me in the 1970s. Years ago they tore it down to make way for a strip mall, of all things. I’m sure it was cheaper and I’m the little stores in the mall provide more tax revenue. But in one stroke they lost a hundred years of history and the defining prominent landmark in the town. These days I rarely go back and don’t go downtown at all as there’s no reason to.
A Chinese preservationist put it well when he said if we don’t preserve the memories of our ancestors, who’s going to preserve our memory after we’re gone?
Keep the campus, honor those who have come before, and give future generations something to marvel over.
I want one!
As my sister and I were walking up the Rum River trail, we took a detour to wander the grounds of this institution. The big, gorgeously creepy red-brick “cottages” would make amazing mansions, though I like a previous poster’s notion of large condos. As we wandered around, marveling, we had the good fortune to run into a couple walking their dog. The lady turned out to have been a nurse at the facility for many years, and told us fascinating things including details of the underground tunnels that connect the buildings. How I yearn to live in one of them, if for no other reason than to tell guests “Now, if you go down in the basement, don’t open the big locked cast-iron doors because they lead to the tunnels that honeycomb the old insane asylum.” Seriously, these buildings are incredibly beautiful and have a nice sort of gothic air that can be a selling point. Please, convert them to large condos — I’d buy in!
Progress
Looking at Google maps, it looks like the campus is missing a couple of the older buildings.
If You Ever Visited There When It Was Open-You May Wish It Gone
It was about fifty years ago I visited the facility as a high school student. I still can see the visions of the people housed there. My parents operated a nursing home and I can tell you that the care level of a nursing home versus what I can still see in my minds eye is disheartening at best.
preservation
I believe that these buildings were designed by Clarence Johnston, the architect who also designed the governors’ mansion and Glensheen in Duluth. There are many fans of Johnston’s work in the state.