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Interpretive Plan 6

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for 8

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Saint Elizabeths Hospital 10

National Historic Landmark 11

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Prepared by the 21

U.S. General Services Administration 22

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March 12, 2012 25

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 3 29

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 6 30

PURPOSE AND GOALS .............................................................................................................. 7 31

Purpose ............................................................................................................................................ 7 32 Goals ................................................................................................................................................ 7 33

BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 8 34

Planning Context .............................................................................................................................. 8 35 Regulatory Context .......................................................................................................................... 8 36 Historical Context ............................................................................................................................. 9 37 Overview of interpretive planning ................................................................................................. 12 38

INTERPRETIVE THEMES ...................................................................................................... 15 39

Main Thematic Statement ............................................................................................................. 16 40 Interpretive Themes ...................................................................................................................... 16 41

KEY AUDIENCES ...................................................................................................................... 22 42

Federal Employees and Visitors ..................................................................................................... 22 43 General Public ................................................................................................................................ 23 44 Potential Visitor Interests .............................................................................................................. 24 45

MAXIMIZING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE........................................................................ 25 46

INTERPRETIVE COMPONENTS ........................................................................................... 27 47

Oral Histories ................................................................................................................................. 28 48 Brochure and Poster Series ............................................................................................................ 29 49 Book/Monograph ........................................................................................................................... 30 50 Signage ........................................................................................................................................... 31 51 Museum ......................................................................................................................................... 33 52 Public Access Program ................................................................................................................... 35 53 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 36 54

OPPORTUNITIES AND ISSUES............................................................................................. 37 55

Opportunities ................................................................................................................................. 37 56 Issues .............................................................................................................................................. 37 57

EXISTING INTERPRETIVE ACTIVITIES AND NEXT STEPS ......................................... 38 58

Existing Interpretive Activities ....................................................................................................... 38 59 Next Steps ...................................................................................................................................... 38 60

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 39 61

Appendix A: Index of Oral Histories 62 Appendix B: Programmatic Agreement 63 Appendix C: Bibliography 64

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Executive Summary 65

66 As part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) mitigation efforts for the redevelopment of 67 the West Campus of the National Historic Landmark Saint Elizabeths Hospital, and pursuant to the terms 68 of a Programmatic Agreement (PA) signed as part of GSA’s compliance with Section 106 of the National 69 Historic Preservation Act, GSA has completed this Interpretive Plan. 70 71

MAIN THEMATIC STATEMENT 72

This Interpretive Plan describes how GSA plans to interpret the history of Saint Elizabeths Hospital. In 73 addition to providing planning, regulatory, and historic context for interpretation activities, the 74 Interpretive Plan provides a Main Thematic Statement for the interpretation of Saint Elizabeths. 75 76

Main Thematic Statement: The historic Saint Elizabeths Hospital was a pioneering mental 77 health facility whose more than 150-year history exemplifies local and national historical trends 78 in mental health care, architecture, the changing role of the federal government, and the way 79 these trends impacted each other. 80 81

INTERPRETIVE THEMES 82

Supporting the Main Thematic Statement are six Interpretive Themes: 83 84

Interpretive Theme One: The built environment at Saint Elizabeths Hospital reflects in physical 85 form the site-specific and nationwide evolution of both architectural design and the theories and 86 methods of mental health care, as well as the challenges of operating a federally administered 87 and funded hospital . 88 89 Interpretive Theme Two: The historic Saint Elizabeths Hospital was a pioneering mental health 90 facility that has been in continual operation since 1855 and represents a microcosm of the 91 evolution of mental health care practice and policy in the United States. 92 93 Interpretive Theme Three: The cultural landscapes at Saint Elizabeths Hospital reflect in 94 physical form the evolution of the operations of the campus and the theories and methods of 95 mental health care practiced at the hospital. 96 97 Interpretive Theme Four: Saint Elizabeths was part of the Civil War support system for the 98 Union. 99 100 Interpretive Theme Five: Saint Elizabeths was the first mental health facility for the military and 101 introduced military psychiatry to the United States. 102 103 Interpretive Theme Six: Throughout its history, Saint Elizabeths was both a source of jobs and 104 economic opportunity for the surrounding community as well as a physical barrier separating 105 adjacent neighborhoods from each other and from the campus itself. 106 107 Interpretive Theme Seven: Given its prominent location near the confluence of two rivers and its 108 proximity to the downtown urban core of Washington, the site of Saint Elizabeths plays an 109 integral role in the cultural and natural history and pre-history of the area. 110

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Each of the six Interpretive Themes is followed by several, detailed Supporting Storylines which can be 112 found in the body of this plan. 113 114

AUDIENCE, TYPES OF VISITORS, AND THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE 115

The Interpretive Plan also includes the identification and description of Key Audiences for the 116 interpretation program and the Types of Visitors who will have access to the interpretive program. 117 118

Key Audience: DHS and GSA Employees and Visitors 119 120

Types of Visitors 121 Daily Workers 122 Regular and One-time Business Visitors 123 VIP Visitors 124

125 Key Audience: General Public 126 127

Types of Visitors 128 Neighbors 129 DC metropolitan area residents 130 DHS and GSA employees 131 Affinity groups 132 Tourists 133 School groups 134 Researchers 135 Cemetery visitors 136

137 The Interpretive Plan then describes potential visitor interests and how to maximize the visitor 138 experience. 139 140

INTERPRETIVE COMPONENTS 141

Each of the Interpretive Components required by the PA is described in detail with the relevant PA 142 text and reference to the PA document. Parameters for the implementation of each Interpretive 143 Component are also included. 144 145 Interpretive Components required in the PA: 146 147

Oral Histories 148

Brochure and Poster Series 149

Book/Monograph 150

Signage 151

Museum 152

Public Access Program 153

Lesson Plan 154

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OPPORTUNITIES AND ISSUES 157

In its exploration of Opportunities and Issues, the Interpretive Plan notes the extraordinary opportunity 158 that 14,000 daily site users present for the interpretation program, as well as the quality of the existing 159 resources on which the interpretation components can be built. It also notes the challenges of maintaining 160 focus on interpretive programs for an agency whose core mission does not include interpretation, as well 161 as addressing the availability of funds. 162 163

EXISTING INTERPRETIVE ACTIVITIES AND NEXT STEPS 164

Finally the Interpretive Plan notes successful existing interpretive activities such as regular public tours, 165 interpretive panels accessible to the public, and the completion of a brochure and the collection of oral 166 histories; and suggests three Next Steps to keep momentum for interpretive activities moving forward: 167 168

Book/Monograph: Apply personnel resources to the research and writing of the book text. Doing 169 so sooner rather than later will take advantage of existing personnel knowledge base and 170 familiarity with both the project and the history of Saint Elizabeths. Completing the research and 171 writing ahead of other interpretive activities will also provide the research needed for those 172 activities and reduce duplication of effort. 173 174 Budgeting: Develop a plan to divide interpretive program elements into smaller discrete projects 175 to account for limited funding. Goal should be to make some progress each fiscal year. 176 177 Museum: Continue to discuss museum partnership with the District of Columbia to leverage 178 momentum of the District’s redevelopment plans for the East Campus. 179

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Introduction 184

185 Saint Elizabeths Hospital is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in the Anacostia and Congress Heights 186 neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. The hospital campus consists of the West Campus which is owned 187 by the federal government and is under the custody and control of the U.S. General Services 188 Administration (GSA), and the East Campus which is owned by the District of Columbia. 189 190 In 2009 the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved GSA’s master plan for the 191 redevelopment of the West Campus for a consolidated headquarters for the Department of Homeland 192 Security (DHS). In response to that undertaking GSA is complying with Section 106 of the National 193 Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) which includes a Programmatic Agreement (PA) that, among other 194 things, specified steps GSA must take to help mitigate the effects of the redevelopment on the Saint 195 Elizabeths Hospital NHL. 196 197 The mitigation stipulations in the PA include several that deal specifically with interpretive activities and 198 one that requires the preparation of an Interpretive Plan. As required by the PA, the following Interpretive 199 Plan will describe how GSA plans to interpret the history of Saint Elizabeths Hospital. 200 201 A Note on Scope and Terminology 202 203 Although the West and East campuses of Saint Elizabeths are physically separated by Martin Luther 204 King, Jr. Avenue; have been functionally separate for many years; and are under separate custody and 205 control, it is important that any interpretation activities undertaken by GSA recognize the full context of 206 the history of Saint Elizabeths and that they not be limited in their thematic approach to those activities 207 that historically took place on the West Campus. At the same time, interpretation components that require 208 a physical presence at Saint Elizabeths (e.g., interpretive signage) will be limited to those portions of 209 Saint Elizabeths that are under control of the GSA unless otherwise noted. 210 211 For the purposes of this Interpretive Plan: 212 213 “Saint Elizabeths” refers to the entire Saint Elizabeths Hospital NHL site. 214 215 “West Campus” refers to the portion of Saint Elizabeths west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. 216 217 “East Campus” refers to the portion of Saint Elizabeths east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. 218 219 A Note on the Availability of Funds 220 221 This Interpretive Plan is meant to be a guiding framework for future GSA projects and is not an obligation 222 of funds in advance of an appropriation of such funds, and it does not constitute authority for the 223 expenditure of funds. Nothing in this Interpretive Plan shall be deemed to authorize an expenditure of 224 funds in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 1341 et seq. GSA will continue to make 225 reasonable and good faith efforts to seek funding for implementing the interpretive components stipulated 226 in the Programmatic Agreement. 227

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Purpose and Goals 229

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PURPOSE 231

232 Purpose of GSA’s efforts to interpret Saint Elizabeths 233 234 The purpose of GSA’s efforts to interpret the history of Saint Elizabeths is to ensure that the history of 235 this NHL property is accessible to those with business on the West Campus, to the broader community, 236 and to the general public, and to fulfill the interpretation requirements described in the 2008 PA. (See 237 Appendix B) 238 239 Purpose of this document 240 241 The purpose of this Interpretive Plan is to provide a comprehensive framework to guide in the 242 development and implementation of projects and activities intended to provide interpretation of the 243 history of the Saint Elizabeths Hospital NHL. The Interpretive Plan will assist GSA in maintaining 244 consistency in the content and execution of a wide variety of interpretive elements over an extended 245 period of time. 246 247

GOALS 248

249 Goals of GSA’s efforts to interpret Saint Elizabeths 250 251

To provide multiple interpretation media for a variety of user groups. 252 To provide interpretation media both on- and off-site. 253 To ensure that a broad range of historical themes are included. 254 To meet the interpretation requirements of the PA. 255

256 257 Goals of this document 258 259

To provide and prioritize appropriate historic themes and subthemes for interpretation. 260 To provide functional parameters for each of the interpretation components. 261 To identify the needs and interests of various stakeholder groups who have an interest in the 262

interpretation of Saint Elizabeths. 263 To meet the interpretation requirements of the PA. 264

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Background 268

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PLANNING CONTEXT 270

271 Saint Elizabeths Hospital is divided into two campuses. The West Campus on the west side of Martin 272 Luther King, Jr. Avenue is owned by the federal government, and consists of approximately 176 acres. 273 The East Campus on the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue is owned by the District of 274 Columbia and consists of approximately 180 acres. 275 276 After being declared excess property by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, GSA took 277 custody and control of the West Campus in 2004 for the purpose of developing secure federal office space 278 in the Washington metropolitan area. After a multi-year master planning process for the redevelopment of 279 the West Campus for DHS, GSA’s “DHS Headquarters Consolidation at St. Elizabeths Master Plan” was 280 approved by NCPC at its January 8, 2009 meeting. The master plan calls for the West Campus and a 281 portion of the East Campus to be developed as a high security Level 5 ISC federal facility with 4.5 282 million gross square feet of office and related space plus 1.5 million gross square feet of parking. The 283 portion of redevelopment for federal use that is occurring on the East Campus is the subject of a master 284 plan amendment currently underway by GSA. 285 286 The District of Columbia-owned East Campus is currently undergoing a master planning process by the 287 District of Columbia Office of Planning. Portions of the East Campus are still in use as a mental health 288 facility operated by the District of Columbia. 289 290

REGULATORY CONTEXT 291

292 In response to its undertaking to redevelop portions of the Saint Elizabeths Hospital NHL site, and as part 293 of its obligations under NHPA, GSA entered into a PA on December 9, 2008. Among other things, the 294 PA stipulates measures to be taken by GSA to mitigate the adverse effects of the redevelopment on the 295 historic hospital campus. 296 297 Saint Elizabeths Hospital has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since April 26, 1979, 298 and was declared a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior on December 14, 1990. 299 The hospital was also listed in the District of Columbia’s Inventory of Historic Sites on May 26, 2005. 300 Each of these designations covers the entirety of both the east and west campuses of Saint Elizabeths 301 although they do vary with respect to how they characterize the importance of individual resources. 302 303 The NHL designation is the highest level of recognition for historic sites in the United States. NHLs are 304 nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess 305 exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States in history, 306 architecture, archeology, engineering and culture, and that possess a high degree of integrity of location, 307 design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Approximately 2,500 properties across 308 the country have been designated NHLs. 309 310 The NHL designation for Saint Elizabeths covers the entire property and recognizes 82 contributing 311 buildings, as well as landscapes, vistas, and the cemeteries. Its period of significance is 1852 to 1940. 312 Saint Elizabeths was designated an NHL based on meeting NHL criteria 1, 2, and 4. 313 314

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Criterion 1 recognizes places that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to, 315 and are identified with, or that outstandingly represent the broad national patterns of United States history 316 and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained. 317 318 Saint Elizabeths represents important 19

th- and 20

th-century social and humanitarian movements 319

associated with the advancements of mental health care. Saint Elizabeths embodies the “moral treatment” 320 philosophy of the mid-19

th century in its integration of physical activity and contemplation of the natural 321

environment as means to restore patients to health. The development of the Center Building complex at 322 Saint Elizabeths represents an important variation of building theories of Thomas S. Kirkbride which 323 called for a maximum of light and fresh air for patients. Saint Elizabeths is the first federal mental 324 hospital in the United States and was a leader in pathological and psychological research and pioneered a 325 number of new therapeutic techniques. 326 327 Criterion 2 recognizes places that are associated importantly with the lives of persons nationally 328 significant in the history of the United States. 329 330 Important individuals associated with Saint Elizabeths include social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix and 331 Dr. Charles H. Nichols who worked with Dix on site selection and the planning of the hospital and who 332 served as the hospital’s first superintendent. Although not included in the period of significance, poet 333 Ezra Pound was committed to Saint Elizabeths from 1946 to 1958. 334 335 Criterion 4 recognizes places that embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type 336 specimen exceptionally valuable for a study of a period, style or method of construction, or that represent 337 a significant, distinctive and exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction. 338 339 Saint Elizabeths is recognized for its High Victorian Gothic and Renaissance Revival architecture. 340

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT 342

343 As early as the 1830s there were calls in Congress to create a “lunatic asylum” for the District of 344 Columbia, but it wasn’t until 1852 that Congress appropriated $100,000 for the construction of the 345 Government Hospital for the Insane which later became known as Saint Elizabeths Hospital. Its purpose 346 was to provide the most humane care and enlightened curative treatment of the insane of the Army and 347 Navy of the United States and for residents of the District of Columbia. 348 349 The creation of the hospital was the cumulative result of local needs and an increased awareness of the 350 issues surrounding the mentally ill thanks to a long-term effort by social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix. 351 Once the appropriation was signed into law Dix was instrumental in the early development of the 352 hospital, convincing President Millard Fillmore to appoint her friend Dr. Charles H. Nichols as the first 353 superintendent as well as working with Nichols to select the hospital site and make plans for its layout 354 and the construction of its first buildings. 355 356 The site chosen by Dix and Nichols was consistent with the theories of Thomas S. Kirkbride who was 357 president of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane 358 (AMSAII). Kirkbride’s theories were founded on the notion of moral treatment which called for an 359 enlightened approach in the treatment of the mentally ill that stressed providing a kind and calm 360 atmosphere removed from the pressures of daily life but one that would also provide patients with the 361 routine of, and interaction with, sane behavior. To provide this atmosphere, the Kirkbride method called 362 for a site of sufficient size and location to provide both privacy and easy access to goods and services, as 363 well as adequate space for farming and patient recreation. The site chosen by Dix and Nichols consisted 364

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of 185 acres of farmland on the east bank of the Anacostia River with sweeping views of downtown 365 Washington and Virginia. 366 367 The earliest building complex at Saint Elizabeths, which became known over time as the Center Building, 368 was based on a layout promoted by Kirkbride as well. It called for an administrative building flanked on 369 either side by a wing for each sex. Kirkbride’s original linear plan stepped each wing back in echelon to 370 provide logical ways of segregating patient population by gender and type and severity of illness and to 371 provide a maximum of light and air. Dr. Nichols made modifications to the Kirkbride plan that were 372 carried out in the construction Saint Elizabeths but also set an example for subsequent Kirkbride buildings 373 built elsewhere. 374 375 The Center Building was built of red brick with sandstone foundations and details. The building is high 376 Victorian Gothic in style and incorporates typical late nineteenth-century details such as hood molds, 377 parapets, buttresses, decorative cast-iron railings, and decorative cornices. The selection of red brick, 378 which was manufactured on site from clay found on site, set the precedent for the architectural vernacular 379 of Saint Elizabeths. 380 381 From the earliest days of the hospital, the grounds were developed to provide therapeutic benefit for 382 patients as well as to provide food for the hospital. The landscape would continue to play this dual role for 383 almost a hundred years. The ornamental gardens and arboretum-like aspects of the grounds provided 384 areas with passive therapeutic value while the working agricultural landscape provided opportunities for 385 active occupational therapy. In general the passive, park-like areas were closest to the Center Building 386 with the balance of the grounds used for crop fields, vegetable gardens, orchards, and livestock 387 operations. 388 389 During the Civil War, the hospital and grounds were pressed into military service in a variety of ways. 390 The east wing of the Center Building was used for a general hospital for the Union Army and the West 391 Lodge was turned over to the Navy for use as quarantine wards. Military amputees were also sent to Saint 392 Elizabeths for rehabilitation and to be fitted with prostheses which were manufactured on site. 393 Additionally, parts of the hospital grounds were given over to a marine company encampment and to 394 stable cavalry horses. As a result of wartime uses at the hospital, the burying ground on the slope of the 395 West Campus became the resting place for both white and African American soldiers and Union and 396 Confederate troops. 397 398 It was during this period that the hospital began to be known informally as Saint Elizabeths. Convalescing 399 troops not wishing to tell relatives they were staying at the Government Hospital for the Insane began 400 referring to the hospital as Saint Elizabeths, which was the name of the colonial land tract upon which the 401 hospital sits. 402 403 Under the direction of Dr. William Godding, twenty additional buildings were built between 1877, when 404 he succeeded Nichols to become the second superintendent, and his death in 1899. Godding’s building 405 program was born of budgetary pragmatism and was a departure from the more formal Kirkbride plan still 406 being endorsed by Nichols and AMSAII. Many of the new buildings were constructed on what was 407 known as the cottage plan, which recognized the need for long term care for the chronically ill in a more 408 home-like setting. Although the buildings of this period largely echo the materials and architectural 409 vocabulary of the Center Building they were smaller in scale, with less ornamentation and had more open 410 floor plans with multi-bedded dormitories. 411 412 In addition to the cottage buildings, the Godding expansion included the construction of many special 413 purpose buildings. The construction of a morgue with a pathology lab and the appointment of Dr. Isaac 414 Blackburn as a full-time research pathologist was perhaps one of the more significant developments 415

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during Godding’s tenure. Other specialist buildings included a cluster of medical buildings and a 416 dedicated kitchen located some distance south of the Center Building to provide quarters for male 417 epileptics and a general hospital building. Godding also oversaw the development of John Howard Hall 418 for the criminally insane, a large central dining hall, the Borrows Cottage, the greenhouse complex, and 419 the fire house, as well as the purchase of the 400-acre Oxon Hill farm about five miles south of Saint 420 Elizabeths. 421 422 The changes in the building stock at Saint Elizabeths not only reflected newer theories about providing a 423 more home-like atmosphere for patients, but they also reflected changes in federal policy which increased 424 the number of chronic patients admitted to the hospital. The change in policy necessitated the construction 425 of the Home Building to receive insane patients from the Home for Disabled Veterans as well as the four 426 Allison Buildings, which housed bedridden and disabled veterans of the Civil War. 427 428 Godding also believed that it was important that other aspects of home life be integrated into the care and 429 housing of patients. Less disturbed and non-violent patients were given more freedoms and were allowed 430 pet birds, fish, and rabbits. Patients were also encouraged to spend more time outdoors either on the large 431 covered porches that linked most of cottage buildings or on the increasingly ornamental grounds 432 enhanced with specimen trees collected by Godding’s son Alvah. 433 434 Soon after Alonzo Richardson became superintendent in 1899 he initiated a major expansion. Although 435 based on the same cottage plan philosophy of the previous twenty years, its architecture and building 436 layout marked a significant change in style and approach from earlier development patterns on campus. 437 The new buildings designed by the Boston architecture firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge were built 438 of similar red brick as previous buildings, but their somewhat monumental Renaissance Revival style 439 with limestone details and tile roofs bore no visual relationship to their Victorian neighbors. Unlike earlier 440 buildings, the new buildings were also more formally situated in the landscape. Seven new buildings were 441 arranged around a central lawn on the West Campus. The more spacious approach to site layout required 442 that four additional patient buildings be built on the East Campus, which until that point had been solely 443 for agricultural uses. The new patient buildings were connected to the West Campus by way of an 444 underpass beneath Nichols Avenue and separated by a natural ravine from agricultural buildings on the 445 East Campus. 446 447 The layout of the eleven new buildings on the site was influenced by a preliminary study from the noted 448 landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The study also included recommendations to rationalize the 449 use of land around the Center Building and other patient care buildings. As a result the existing fire house 450 and the morgue were moved to their current locations to allow more separation between service buildings 451 and patient areas. 452 453 Richardson’s untimely death in 1903 meant that the supervision and benefits of his expansion plans fell to 454 his successor, Dr. William A. White. At the completion of the Richardson expansion the overcrowding 455 crisis at Saint Elizabeths had been resolved for the first time since the Civil War. With the expansion 456 program well underway when he became superintendent, White was able to focus his efforts on more 457 closely linking Saint Elizabeths’ mission to scientific research and the application of scientific method for 458 the cure of mental illness. For decades federal government admission mandates had forced the staff to 459 focus heavily on the long-term care of chronic patients and a large number of infirm but sane veterans. 460 With the relief of the overcrowding situation, White was able to solidify the hospital’s prominence in 461 scientific research and practice. Physical proof of his achievements includes the construction of 462 Hitchcock Hall (the large theater building on the West Campus) and Blackburn Laboratory and a new 463 medical and surgical building on the East Campus. 464 465

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Despite the Richardson expansion, White also faced overcrowding issues in the 1930s when he embarked 466 on a major expansion of patient care buildings that included the construction of two large patient 467 receiving buildings and a new residence for tuberculosis patients, as well as the beginnings of the long 468 term patient care complex. Three continuing treatment (CT) buildings were completed under White. Five 469 additional CT buildings were completed under his successor Dr. Winfred Overholser. 470 471 Changes in the operation and mission of Saint Elizabeths from the end of the period of significance 472 (1940) to the present day were indicative of major shifts in the care and treatment of the mentally ill. 473 However, with the exception of a handful of new buildings after 1940, the physical environment of Saint 474 Elizabeths did not echo those major changes in the same way that it did as a result of the innovations of 475 Nichols, Godding, Richardson, White, and Overholser. 476 477 The patient population at Saint Elizabeths peaked at more than 7,400 patients when World War II ended 478 in 1945. It stayed around that level until it began a rapid decline in the 1960s. By the 1980s the patient 479 population was down to about 1,200 and today stands at fewer than 300. There were many factors that 480 played into the decline of the patient population, including changes in health care policy for members of 481 the military, the successful development of psychotropic drugs, refinements in the understanding of what 482 constitutes successful treatment outcomes, and an emphasis on placing the functioning mentally ill in 483 mainstream living environments. Today all mental healthcare functions have been consolidated into a new 484 hospital facility on the East Campus. 485 486 Redevelopment of the West Campus by GSA and the redevelopment of the East Campus by the District 487 of Columbia will begin to write the next chapter in the story of Saint Elizabeths. 488 489

OVERVIEW OF INTERPRETIVE PLANNING 490

491 What is interpretation? 492 493 Simply put, providing an interpretation of a cultural or natural site is to provide an explanation of what a 494 visitor to the site is seeing. In practical terms, the interpretation of a site can be conveyed by the words of 495 a tour guide, informational markers explaining points of interest, information kiosks, maps, visitor 496 centers, museums, brochures, websites, and through many other media. 497 498 To be effective, interpretation must go beyond a recital of facts. Freeman Tilden, an early authority on 499 interpretation in the United States, explains that interpretation is “An educational activity which aims to 500 reveal meaning and relationships through the use of original objects, by first-hand experience, and by 501 illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information.” Similarly, the National 502 Association for Interpretation (NAI) sees interpretation as a “communication process that forges 503 emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the inherent meanings in 504 the resource.” (Tilden 1977, 8) 505 506 At the root of interpretation is the desire to convey information in a way that is meaningful to an 507 audience. Providing meaningful information to disparate and sometimes disinterested audiences is one of 508 the primary challenges of any interpretation program. In almost all cases information conveyed through 509 interpretation is not fundamentally important to our day-to-day survival—it is not directly related to our 510 health, safety, or basic functional needs. Unlike the importance of the information conveyed by a stop 511 sign, no lives will be lost if a historical marker along the side of a road is ignored. As such, an effective 512 interpretive program must always strive to be engaging and relevant to the end user. 513 514

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In some cases, that end user may need to be cajoled into paying attention, in other cases he or she may 515 already have an interest in the topic at hand. In most cases the interpretation media must appeal to both 516 types of users and everyone in between. Because interpretation programs need to appeal to the part of us 517 that seeks knowledge for its own sake, efforts to provide interpretation must consider the art of conveying 518 information at least as much as it considers the conventions of research, analysis, and grammar. This may 519 pose a challenge to agencies whose core mission does not include educating the general public, especially 520 on matters not germane to the functioning of the government. To be effective, an interpretive program 521 must set aside technical jargon and the formality of typical government communications. Freeman Tilden, 522 who worked for many years with the U.S. National Park Service, suggested that the interpreter “dip into 523 his own artistic appreciation, give form and life to his material, and tell a story rather than recite an 524 inventory.” 525 526 It should be noted that bias is inherent in the interpretation process. At its most basic, the word interpret 527 can mean both to explain and to construe. The former suggests a rather straightforward explication of fact 528 whereas the latter suggests a stronger point of view—that is, to understand something in a particular way. 529 The goal of an interpretive program may be to present information in the least slanted or least 530 controversial way possible, however, limited time, resources, and audience attention span means that 531 some facts come to the fore and others disappear entirely. In this way, it is impossible to present 532 interpretation without evincing some sort of point of view. The key is to make sure that the point of view 533 is in service to the historical record—not ideology. 534 535 What is an Interpretive Plan? 536 537 An interpretive plan is a document that describes and explains the thematic focus and the proposed 538 methods for interpreting a specific site. It needs to be inclusive of the goals, context, issues, limitations, 539 and methods of implementation. It should be a clearly written strategic framework, and serve as a plan of 540 action for future interpretive projects. 541 542 What is the planning process for this Interpretive Plan? 543 544 This Interpretive Plan, while the first formal step in solidifying the interpretive approach and parameters 545 for interpretive programming for the West Campus, is not the first effort GSA has made to interpret the 546 West Campus. Prior to this planning effort GSA commissioned a broad range of historical research and 547 documentation, and opened up the campus for regular monthly guided tours. 548 549 In addition to the voluminous historical documentation already completed or underway, GSA’s ongoing 550 planning and preservation efforts for the redevelopment of the West Campus have assembled a diverse 551 group of stakeholders, who have provided the basis for outreach efforts for this Interpretive Plan. This 552 interpretive planning process also benefits from the clearly identified set of interpretive components 553 outlined in the 2008 PA. 554 555 Building on these existing resources, GSA began the planning process for the development of the 556 interpretive plan and other interpretive components in early 2010. The original intention was to procure a 557 contract for the Interpretive Plan that would also serve as an umbrella general contract for the individual 558 interpretive components required by the PA. By early 2011 funding exigencies required a shift in focus 559 that would allow progress on the Interpretive Plan and other interpretive components despite a greatly 560 reduced level of funding. By June 2011 the Interpretive Plan was underway using in-house expertise at 561 GSA and leveraging the expertise of other federal agencies and the Signatories and Consulting Parties to 562 the PA. 563 564

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Using the interpretive components that were developed in 2008 in consultation with the Consulting 565 Parties as a framework, GSA reached out to interested stakeholders to collect the broadest possible range 566 of input. In addition to the diverse group of stakeholders that comprise the Consulting Parties GSA 567 worked with the Community Outreach Office at Saint Elizabeths Hospital to contact former employees of 568 the hospital; worked with local officials to publicize our efforts, and met with community groups to solicit 569 participation. GSA also contacted GSA and DHS employees who have been working on Saint Elizabeths 570 since 2003 as well as current and former historians who have been involved in the project over the years. 571 572 In addition to questionnaire responses and conversations with interested stakeholders, GSA has collected 573 important information as part of its oral history project described later in this document. Finally GSA 574 received substantive feedback from Consulting Parties at the October 11, 2011 Consulting Party Meeting, 575 and provided an opportunity for review and comment by Signatories and Consulting Parties on a draft of 576 this Interpretive Plan. 577 578 This Interpretive Plan fulfills the PA stipulations requiring GSA prepare such a plan. It should be noted, 579 however, that as the interpretive components implemented at some future date, will use the information in 580 this Interpretive Plan as a framework for developing specific interpretive programs and thematic content. 581 During the implementation process for each of the interpretive components, GSA will assess whether or 582 not this Interpretive Plan needs to be updated to account for substantive changes in either interpretive 583 component parameters or in thematic content due to the discovery of additional information or 584 information that contradicts the content of this plan. 585 586

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Interpretive Themes 588

589 Interpreting the history of an NHL like Saint Elizabeths becomes a challenge in intellectual and thematic 590 prioritization and organization. Cultural sites with such a diverse history can be difficult to capture 591 effectively in a reasonable number of interpretive themes, let alone in one main thematic statement. But to 592 be effective, an interpretive program must do exactly that. It must identify the reason for its being. 593 594 At its broadest level the main thematic statement should not only answer the question, “what is this 595 place?” but it should also give an indication as to why it exists and what makes it special. In the case of an 596 iconic historic site such as Mount Vernon, the widely held understanding of who George Washington was 597 makes the creation of a main thematic statement fairly easy. It could be something as simple as “The 598 home of George Washington.” With that simple statement (and a basic user-known understanding of 599 Washington) we know what it is, we know why it exists, and we know what makes it special. For a site 600 like Saint Elizabeths much more is required of a main thematic statement. It needs to be a succinct 601 distillation of the essence of what Saint Elizabeths has been over the past 150 years, it needs to make 602 sense, and it should appeal to users who have never heard of it before and who know nothing of mental 603 health facilities. 604 605 It could be tempting to give in to the notion that such a complex (and largely unknown) history cannot be 606 captured in a single succinct statement. But not doing so puts interpretive clarity at risk and creates the 607 potential for an interpretive program that is too diffuse to effectively explain to the user why he or she 608 should care. In the case of Saint Elizabeths, statements of significance in its National Historic Landmark 609 nomination and other similar documents or historical studies could be used as the basis of a main thematic 610 statement. But doing so forgoes the opportunity to confirm the relevance of those existing statements of 611 significance as well as the opportunity to explore hitherto unexplored historical themes which might have 612 an important bearing on understanding the essence of the site. 613 614 Because the main thematic statement is the distillation of a wide range of details, one must first collect 615 and organize the details. From the details comes a series of broad interpretive themes, and from the 616 interpretive themes comes the main thematic statement. 617 618 To determine a range of appropriate and meaningful themes for interpretation, GSA reached out to 619 various groups to collect feedback on what aspects of the Saint Elizabeths’ story were worthy of 620 interpretation. Since solicitations for input came in many different forums and formats, the feedback 621 received was diverse in format as well as content. Some feedback was very specific, referring to a single 622 person, event, building, or other unique characteristic. Other feedback was much less specific, suggesting 623 general areas of interest or ideas for broader interpretive themes. 624 625 Specific comments became the building blocks, or the supporting storylines, which supported and helped 626 to illustrate broader themes for interpretation, which in turn became the building blocks for the main 627 thematic statement for Saint Elizabeths. 628 629 It is theoretically possible that the main thematic statement or the interpretive themes could change as a 630 result of additional research. Given the amount of research already existing, however, it is much more 631 likely that the supporting storylines may change, expand, or contract, but the interpretive themes and main 632 interpretive statement will stay the same. 633 634

635

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MAIN THEMATIC STATEMENT 636

637 Main Thematic Statement: The historic Saint Elizabeths Hospital was a pioneering mental health 638 facility whose more than 150-year history exemplifies local and national historical trends in mental 639 health care, architecture, the changing role of the federal government, and the way these trends 640 impacted each other. 641 642

INTERPRETIVE THEMES 643

644 Interpretive Theme One: The built environment at Saint Elizabeths Hospital reflects in physical form 645 the site-specific and nationwide evolution of both architectural design and the theories and methods 646 of mental health care, as well as the challenges of operating a federally administered and funded 647 hospital. 648 649 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme One 650 651

Before appropriating funds for the creation of Saint Elizabeths, Congress struggled to find 652 solutions to the issue of providing mental health care for the armed forces and residents of 653 Washington, DC. 654

655 Social reformer Dorothea Dix and Dr. Charles Nichols, the first superintendent of Saint 656

Elizabeths, were instrumental in the early development of the hospital and its legacy as a national 657 model for government mental health care facilities. 658

659 Site selection for the hospital and the development of the earliest buildings on campus were 660

patterned after the theories of Thomas S. Kirkbride to allow for the “moral treatment” of patients. 661 662

Architect of the Capitol Thomas U. Walter designed the Center Building based on a Kirkbride 663 plan, modified by Dr. Nichols that later set the standard for future Kirkbride plan buildings. 664

665 Between 1852 and 1940, the development of the hospital consisted of four major building efforts, 666

each of which exemplifies the prevailing methods of therapy and budgetary limitations. 667 668

The choice of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge to design the “letter buildings” was the result of an 669 expanded search for a design firm, which was conducted after a limited design competition failed 670 to produce satisfactory results. 671

672 In the early years of hospital construction bricks were hand-made on site and much of the trim 673

work and furniture was milled from trees found on the site. 674 675

The diversity of building types and the presence of smaller, non-institutional buildings reinforce 676 the town-like quality of a self-contained, self-sufficient campus. 677

678 Service buildings and a tunnel system were created to efficiently support the care of patients and 679

the maintenance of the facility. 680 681

Known and potential archaeological resources may provide important information about 682 previously demolished buildings and agricultural practices. 683

17

684 Potential Supporting Storylines for Theme One 685 686

What was the role of African Americans in the development and operation of the hospital? Was 687 slave or contraband labor used to build the hospital? 688

689 690 Interpretive Theme Two: The historic Saint Elizabeths Hospital was a pioneering mental health 691 facility that has been in continual operation since 1855 and represents a microcosm of the evolution 692 of mental health care practice and policy in the United States. 693 694 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Two 695 696

Social reformer Dorothea Dix and Dr. Charles Nichols, the first superintendant of Saint 697 Elizabeths, were instrumental in the early development of the hospital and its legacy as a national 698 model for government mental health care facilities. 699

700 Beginning with adherence to the Kirkbride method and the theory of “moral treatment” at the 701

founding of the hospital, theories of patient care and therapy helped shape the built environment 702 in significant ways. 703

704 Saint Elizabeths’ staff played a leading role in the development of forensic psychiatry. 705

706 Saint Elizabeths was the first mental health care facility in the nation to have neuropathology and 707

psychology laboratories. 708 709

Dr. Isaac Blackburn was a leader in the collection of human brain specimens for the purpose of 710 research into mental illness. 711

712 Saint Elizabeths was the first mental health care facility to have a psychotherapy department. 713

714 Patient treatment and care at Saint Elizabeths served as a national model for public mental health 715

care facilities. 716 717

Saint Elizabeths pioneered many therapies including hydrotherapy, malaria fever therapy, insulin 718 coma therapy, dance therapy, art therapy, and psychotherapy. 719 720

Saint Elizabeths was overseen by a Board of Visitors appointed by the President of the United 721 States. 722

723 The size and characteristics of patient population was impacted by direct and specific federally 724

mandated admissions policies, changes in federal law related to mental health care in general, and 725 by changes in mental health therapies and diagnostic standards. 726

727 Saint Elizabeths included a school of nursing from 1894 to 1953. 728

729 Potential Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Two 730 731

Descriptions of notable patients. 732 733

18

Descriptions of typical patient and staff life during different phases of the hospital’s operation. 734 735

How did race relations play out among patients, among staff, and between patients and staff and 736 how did it change over time? 737 738

739 Interpretive Theme Three: The cultural landscapes at Saint Elizabeths Hospital reflect in physical form 740 the evolution of the operations of the campus and the theories and methods of mental health care 741 practiced at the hospital. 742 743 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Three 744 745

The site for Saint Elizabeths was chosen because of its location near the downtown urban core of 746 Washington, the pleasant views and fresh air afforded by its position on a high ridge, the 747 availability of drinking water and other natural resources, and its access to both road and river 748 transportation. 749

750 The philosophy of moral treatment encouraged the creation of landscapes for the passive and 751

active recreation and therapy. 752 753

Much of the open land at Saint Elizabeths was put to agricultural uses such as crops, gardens, 754 orchards, and pastures. 755

756 For many decades the staff and patients at Saint Elizabeths cultivated much of the food consumed 757

on campus. 758 759 As the patient population expanded, the location of land used for food production shifted over 760

time; first from the West Campus to the East Campus, then to an offsite farm near the hospital 761 and finally to a farm in Oxon Hill, Maryland. 762

763 As food production moved off of the West Campus the grounds became more elaborately 764

landscaped with gardens, summer houses, and specimen trees collected by Alvah Godding, the 765 son of Superintendant William Godding. 766

767 A series of greenhouses were used for the cultivation of flowers for use in patient care buildings. 768

769 A preliminary study from the noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead encouraged the 770

relocation of the fire house and morgue to allow more separation between service buildings and 771 patient areas. 772

773 The western boundary of the West Campus changed dramatically when the infill of the Anacostia 774

River cut off the campus from the river. This separation was reinforced with the construction of 775 Interstate 295 in the 1960s. 776 777

778 Potential Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Three 779 780

Does the archaeological record contradict the written record or suggest alternative explanations 781 for the evolution of the cultural landscapes? 782

783

19

Interpretive Theme Four: Saint Elizabeths was part of the Civil War support system for the Union. 784 785 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Four 786 787

Various parts of Saint Elizabeths were used to house wounded members of the Union armed 788 forces. 789

790 Saint Elizabeths became a regional center for amputee rehabilitation and included an onsite 791

prosthetic shop. 792 793

Civil War soldiers convalescing at the Government Hospital for the Insane, not wanting the 794 stigma of being at a mental hospital, began referring to the hospital as “Saint Elizabeths”, the 795 name of the colonial land tract on which the hospital sits. 796

797 The highest section of the Center Building was used as signal tower. 798

799 The cemetery on the West Campus includes the graves of both white and African American Civil 800

War Veterans from both the Union and Confederate forces. 801 802 Potential Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Four 803 804

Did President Lincoln ever visit troops at Saint Elizabeths? 805 806 Were the military insanity cases tended by doctors and staff from the Hospital for the Insane or 807

by the military staff? 808 809

Was the campus used for experimental batteries? 810 811

Was there any relationship to the Civil War Forts that make up the Fort Circle Parks? 812 813

How did Saint Elizabeths fit into the larger regional Civil War medical network? 814 815

What was the impact of the Civil War on patient population after the war ended? 816 817

What does the archaeological record tell us about life at Saint Elizabeths during the Civil War? 818 819 820 821

20

Interpretive Theme Five: Saint Elizabeths was the first mental health facility for the military and 822 introduced military psychiatry to the United States. 823 824 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Five 825 826

From 1855 to 1946 campus population was directly related to mental health casualties of U.S. 827 military involvement in combat action. 828

829 In 1866 Congress expanded admission criteria for Saint Elizabeths to include military veterans 830

whose mental illness began during their active duty service or later as a result of their active duty 831 service. 832

833 Superintendents from Nichols to Overholser were integral in defining the field of military 834

psychiatry as a distinct specialty. 835 836

Surgeon Generals of the Army and Navy served on the Board of Visitors. 837 838

Until 1946 the majority of patients at any given time were military patients. 839 840

The cemeteries on both the West and East campuses are reminders of the military presence at 841 Saint Elizabeths. 842

843 844 Interpretive Theme Six: Throughout its history, Saint Elizabeths was both a source of jobs and economic 845 opportunity for the surrounding community as well as a physical barrier separating adjacent 846 neighborhoods from each other and from the campus itself. 847 848 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Six 849 850

At its peak, Saint Elizabeths had approximately 3,500 employees, many of whom lived in the 851 immediate area. 852

853 The grounds of Saint Elizabeths were largely off limits to the local community. 854

855 Patients would play cards in the woods near West Campus. 856

857 Some films and other events in Hitchcock Hall were open to the public. 858

859 Some patients were allowed city passes to leave campus. 860

861 Into the 1970s, there was still a sense of family tradition as multiple generations from the same 862

family worked at Saint Elizabeths over the years. 863 864 Potential Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Six 865 866

What was the relationship between the hospital and Congress Heights, Uniontown, Barry Farm, 867 and Hillsdale? 868

869 The reduction in patient population occurred during the time of demographic shifts in the 870

community. What impact, if any, did these two trends have on each other? 871

21

Interpretive Theme Seven: Given its prominent location near the confluence of two rivers and its 872 proximity to the downtown urban core of Washington, the site of Saint Elizabeths plays an integral role in 873 the cultural and natural history and pre-history of the area. 874 875 Supporting Storylines for Interpretive Theme Seven 876 877

The topographic, geologic, and geographic characteristics of Washington, DC and environs are 878 visible from the various points on the West Campus. 879

880 By 1608, the area now known as Anacostia included a village called Nacotchtanke, which was 881

the residence of the chief of the Native American Necotsins Tribe. 882 883

Recovered archaeological resources from the Saint Elizabeths site give clues to the history of the 884 site prior to development of the hospital. 885

886 Colonial settlements in the area during the 17

th century consisted of a manorial-style system based 887

on land grants in tracts of 1,000 acres or more. 888 889

Saint Elizabeths Hospital sits on part of a colonial land tract called Saint Elizabeths and granted 890 in 1666 to John Charman, who came to North America as an indentured servant in 1648. 891

892 Prior to the 19

th century uses on the hospital site consisted of working tobacco plantations that fits 893

a general pattern of development along the Potomac River in which large landholders rented 894 portions of their property to tenants who worked the land. 895

896 The Saint Elizabeths land tract was part of Maryland until 1790. 897

898 899 900

901

902

22

Key Audiences 903

904 The target audiences for the interpretive program of Saint Elizabeths fall into two distinct, but rather 905 broad categories. The first is the approximately 14,000 federal employees and contractors who will be 906 physically present on site during the work week, and those doing business with DHS. The second is the 907 general public; a broad range of interested parties who do not do business with DHS. Within each of these 908 broad constituencies are sub-audiences who have very different reasons for participating in the 909 interpretive program. 910 911

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS 912

913 Although this group will have the most access to the West Campus and its interpretive programs, their 914 focus will be on supporting the mission of DHS. Because their purpose for being on the West Campus is 915 unrelated to the history of Saint Elizabeths, this audience will be the most diverse in terms of individual 916 level of interest in the interpretive program. Among this audience there will, no doubt, be avid history 917 buffs as well as individuals with no interest in either history or in their surroundings. In between those 918 two extremes will be every possible variation of interest in the history of Saint Elizabeths specifically and 919 the work environment generally. 920 921 Daily Workers 922 923 At full build-out, there will be approximately 14,000 federal employees and embedded contract 924 employees working on the West Campus. In general, this audience will be on campus 40 hours a week. 925 These daily workers will have access to their place of work and various other buildings as well as access 926 to the grounds. 927 928 In most cases, time available for interaction with the interpretive program will be limited to morning and 929 evening pedestrian commuting from security gates and parking garages to places of work, lunch hours, 930 break times, and passing from building to building for meetings or other work related events. 931 932 This audience will access the West Campus from a variety of entry points. 933 934 Regular and One-time Business Visitors 935 936 Regular and one-time business visitors may consist of non-embedded contractors, non-DHS federal 937 employees, state and local government officials, vendors, and others who do business with DHS. 938 939 The frequency of visits for some of these individuals may allow for interpretive program access that 940 resembles that of daily workers. In many other cases visits by this audience will be much less frequent or 941 limited to a single visit. For this group, interest in the interpretive program may be more acute because 942 opportunities for access will be much more limited. 943 944 In addition, this audience may have limited and varying access to different parts of campus and may not 945 be able to interact with interpretive program elements not immediately connected with their reason for 946 being on site. 947 948 This audience will access the West Campus from a single visitor’s entrance. 949 950

23

VIP Visitors 951 952 On occasion, high ranking federal, state, local, and foreign officials will visit the West Campus for 953 business or ceremonial reasons. Because of the nature of these visits, it is likely that their interaction with 954 the interpretive program, if any, will be more formal and coordinated by DHS or other federal officials. 955 956

GENERAL PUBLIC 957

958 General public audiences will be more focused in terms of levels of interest, and in terms of the time, 959 duration, and frequency of visits, than DHS employees and visitors doing business with DHS. 960 961 Types of Visitors 962 963

Neighbors – Those who live near Saint Elizabeths or in the greater Anacostia and Congress 964 Heights neighborhoods. 965

966 DC Metropolitan Area Residents – Individuals from the greater Washington, DC region with a 967

desire to go beyond the more obvious cultural sites in the region and/or those who wish to more 968 broadly explore the region in which they live. 969

970 DHS or GSA Employees – Those employed at, or with regular access to, the West Campus but 971

who don’t have time during their work week to interact with the interpretive program. Federal 972 employees who do not work at Saint Elizabeths or who have no business there would fall into 973 other visitor type categories. 974

975 Affinity Groups – Individuals or groups with an interest in specific topics such as history, 976

historic preservation, architecture, cultural landscapes, archaeology, etc. 977 978

Tourists – Individuals from around the country and world who have an interest in seeing the sites 979 in Washington, DC. Given its location outside of the tourist core of the city, security 980 arrangements, and the esoteric history of Saint Elizabeths, this audience is more likely to include 981 repeat visitors to DC or those with an affinity interest than it would first time, or general interest 982 tourists. 983

984 School Groups – Organized groups from area schools. 985

986 Researchers – Individuals who have a specific research interest in visiting Saint Elizabeths. 987

988 Cemetery Visitors – Those members of the public who desire to visit the cemetery for the 989

purpose of paying their respects to a deceased relative or general commemoration of the veterans 990 and civilian patients buried there. 991

992

993

24

POTENTIAL VISITOR INTERESTS 994

995 Each of the above mentioned visitor types will likely be interested in one or more of the following aspects 996 of the Saint Elizabeths story. 997 998

Mental Healthcare History – General interest in the workings of a large mental health facility as 999 well as the role of the hospital in the development of mental healthcare in the US. 1000

1001 Washington, DC History – The broader history of Washington, DC and the region, not just the 1002

more typical parts of official and ceremonial Washington. 1003 1004

African American History – The involvement of African Americans in the history of the 1005 hospital, its role in the local African American community, and how it fits in the context of 1006 African American history on the national level. 1007

1008 Civil War History – Aspects of the site and history that relate to the Civil War. 1009

1010 Military History – Aspects of the site and history that relate to its role in the development of 1011

military psychiatry. 1012 1013

Native American History – Early history of the area. 1014 1015

View of Washington, DC – Seeing one of the best views of Washington, DC and the region. 1016 1017

Historic Preservation – Preserving the historic legacy of the community, region, and nation. 1018 Typically focused on the preservation of built resources as embodiments of that historic legacy. 1019

1020 Cultural Landscapes – Similar to those with historic preservation interests but more narrowly 1021

focused on landscapes. 1022 1023

Archaeological Resources – What the archaeological record says about the history of the site. 1024 1025

Architecture – Overlaps with historic preservation but shows more interest in architecture for its 1026 own sake and equally likely to be interested in contemporary architecture as much as historic 1027 architecture. 1028

1029 Urban and Environmental Planning – The layout of the campus, its land uses, and natural 1030

resources, and its physical relationship to the surrounding community and region. 1031

1032

1033

25

Maximizing the Visitor Experience 1034

1035 As explored in detail in the previous section, interpretive programs should appeal to people of varying 1036 ages, backgrounds, and interests. To do so, care must be taken to understand the user audiences and 1037 provide engaging information in a variety of media that can appeal to as many as possible without losing 1038 or diluting the overall interpretive message. 1039 1040 To provide a meaningful visitor experience an interpretation program should: 1041 1042

Be more than a recitation of facts. Facts alone do not constitute interpretation. Paraphrasing 1043 Freeman Tilden, interpretation is revelation based on facts. 1044

1045 Appeal to the visitor’s own life experiences. The stigma attached to mental illness and the 1046

patients who lived or were treated at Saint Elizabeths may not make this as easy as it may be at 1047 other cultural sites. However, there is still the opportunity to tap into the personal experiences of 1048 users through the interpretation of everyday objects found on site or discussions of patient 1049 activities like gardening or by drawing them into the experience by providing examples of 1050 something that happened right where the visitor is standing. 1051

1052 Be free of jargon and technical terms. Most visitors to the West Campus will not have an 1053

accurate frame of reference for a large mental health facility and the types of activities that took 1054 place there. A focus on patient and staff experiences as well as everyday artifacts found on site 1055 could be used to help minimize technical or overly academic descriptions and explanations. 1056

1057 Provide interest through illustrative examples. The simple fact that hydrotherapy was used at 1058

Saint Elizabeths may not make much of an impression, but giving a more detailed description of 1059 the process itself along with pictures and artifacts is more likely to do so. 1060

1061 Only use detail that is directly related to the arc of the storyline. The danger in using detail is 1062

that it can get in the way of the story. Providing the year that Saint Elizabeths opened helps the 1063 visitor place it in a larger historical context. Providing the month and the day the first patient 1064 arrived does not necessarily add to the story. 1065

1066 Leverage the attributes of the setting. Wherever possible, interpretation should offer stimuli to 1067

the senses rather than rely solely on the visitor’s imagination. 1068 1069 1070 Providing a meaningful interpretive program for the West Campus is somewhat more complex than it 1071 would be for a more typical cultural site. Many interpretive programs are implemented at cultural sites 1072 that are open to the public specifically for that purpose. Many others are implemented in and around 1073 resources that have some other daily function but are still accessible to the general public in varying 1074 degrees. The West Campus, like the White House and the Pentagon, is a cultural site that will be a 1075 functioning part of the federal government with all the concomitant restrictions on visitors due to security 1076 and operational needs. Unlike the White House and the Pentagon, the core mission of DHS on the West 1077 Campus will have no relationship to the significance of the underlying cultural site. 1078 1079 Considering the audience characteristics described in the previous section, users of the interpretive 1080 program for the West Campus can be put into one of three categories: the captive audience of DHS 1081 employees and visitors; the self-selecting individuals and groups who seek out access to the West Campus 1082

26

through the public access program; and those who incidentally happen upon the perimeter of the West 1083 Campus as they pursue other activities. 1084 1085 Each of these three types of users will have different basic expectations. DHS and GSA employees and 1086 visitors might expect that the interpretive program be easily accessible to them in the course of their daily 1087 work, and that neither the program elements nor that community use of the interpretive program 1088 overwhelm the mission or identity of DHS or GSA. Individuals who seek access to the site and the 1089 interpretive program will want to learn more about the history of Saint Elizabeths and feel like they have 1090 experienced something special or unique. Passersby will want to know what is on the other side of the 1091 historic wall. 1092 1093 The interpretation messages and media must appeal to each of these types of audience. 1094 1095 1096

1097

27

Interpretive Components 1098

1099 Unlike typical interpretive plans, specific interpretive components and parameters for 1100

interpreting Saint Elizabeths have been prescribed by the PA. The interpretive components 1101 described in the PA provide an effective way to interpret a site of this nature with its associated 1102 access and resource limitations. 1103 1104 Some of the interpretive components can be undertaken using existing GSA resources (e.g., oral 1105

histories and the book/monograph). Others will require the hiring of contractors who have 1106 specialized experience. 1107 1108 Each of the following descriptions outline the important aspects of each interpretive component 1109

as described in the PA and informed by input received during the interpretive planning process. 1110 These descriptions should serve as broad outlines for more detailed scopes of work for each 1111

component. 1112 1113

1114

28

ORAL HISTORIES 1115

1116 The PA stipulation dealing with oral histories begins at line 804 of the PA and indicates that 1117 GSA 1118

1119 “…will conduct and document oral history interviews with former employees, 1120 patients (if possible), neighborhood residents, site management personnel, project 1121 executives and others to collect stories, first-hand accounts and other 1122 remembrances of St. Elizabeths’ history and redevelopment. Oral histories will be 1123 developed in accordance with NPS’s Documenting Cultural and Historical 1124

memory: Oral History in the National Park Service. Documents and materials 1125 produced as part of this effort will be made available on the project website and 1126 donated to the St. Elizabeths Archive.” 1127

1128 As GSA considered the sequencing of the various elements of the interpretive program it became 1129 clear that the collection of oral histories should take precedence for two reasons. First and 1130

foremost was the desire to collect the histories as soon as possible to preserve personal 1131 recollections from the broadest possible pool of oral history candidates. Secondly, it was 1132

advantageous to have the information gathered in the oral histories to contribute to the content of 1133 this Interpretive Plan. By beginning the collection of oral histories concurrently with this 1134 document, both the oral histories and the Interpretive Plan benefitted from a mutually reinforcing 1135

feedback loop. The oral history interviews were particularly helpful in fleshing out the 1136 interpretive themes presented earlier in this document. Similarly, the information contained in 1137

the oral histories will be invaluable in the research for, and creation of other elements of the 1138 interpretive program listed in this section. 1139 1140

By the time of completion of this Interpretive Plan the collection of oral histories will have been 1141

completed, with the exception of collecting histories from individuals involved in the 1142 redevelopment of the West Campus. It was determined that collecting oral histories from federal 1143 employees still actively engaged in planning, design, and construction efforts for the 1144

redevelopment of the West Campus would not be able to speak at this time with the candor 1145 necessary for a successful oral history. When the redevelopment of the campus is completed 1146

GSA should endeavor to collect oral histories from federal employees involved in the project, or 1147 it should reconsider whether or not those interviews would yield sufficiently candid 1148

observations. 1149 1150 The PA stipulation quoted above requires that GSA develop the oral histories in accordance with 1151 Documenting Cultural and Historical Memory: Oral History in the National Park Services. The 1152

document, written by Janet A. McDonnell, and published in 2003 in The Oral History Review, 1153 offers a description of the challenges and opportunities for oral histories within the National Park 1154 Service but presents very little in the way of specific guidelines or advice for conducting an oral 1155

history program. However, recognizing the expertise of the National Park Service in the 1156 collection of oral histories, GSA used the Handbook for Oral History in the National Park 1157 Service, released in draft form in 2005 and published on the National Park Service website 1158 extensively in conducting its oral history program. 1159 1160

29

The oral histories will become part of GSA’s Saint Elizabeths Archives and will be accessible to 1161

the public in the same manner as the Archive which has yet to be determined. An annotated 1162 index of the oral histories taken by GSA is included in Appendix B. 1163

BROCHURE AND POSTER SERIES 1164

1165 The PA stipulates at line 777 that GSA develop a brochure and poster series: 1166

1167 “GSA will develop an informational and illustrative brochure and poster series for 1168 the Site as part of the Center for Historic Buildings’ Historic Buildings Brochure 1169 and Poster Series. This series will include substantive brochures and posters 1170 illustrating the historic characteristics of the NHL. These products will be 1171

available to the public online…” 1172

1173

GSA can fulfill the requirements of this stipulation under the umbrella of the Center for Historic 1174 Buildings’ (CHB) poster series program. However, a similar effort undertaken independently of 1175

the CHB program could also suffice. Content for the brochure(s) can be developed 1176 independently, but would benefit from being part of the larger research effort required for the 1177

museum exhibit and/or monograph. The design and content of one or more posters will be 1178 coordinated with the brochure(s). 1179 1180 GSA collaborated with the DC Preservation League in the production of a brochure, published in October 1181 2011, on the history of Saint Elizabeths. 1182

1183

30

BOOK/MONOGRAPH 1184

1185 The PA stipulates at line 772 that GSA produce a book: 1186 1187

“As an accompaniment to the exhibit developed on the history, significance, use 1188 and redevelopment of the Site, GSA will produce a comprehensive 1189 catalog/monograph, complete with illustrations and text documenting the Site and 1190 the project.” 1191

1192 Because of the larger issues surrounding the timing, funding, and operations of a permanent 1193

museum exhibit, GSA may want to consider developing a book that can be a stand-alone history 1194 of Saint Elizabeths rather than a catalog specifically supporting a permanent exhibit. Also, the 1195 artifacts, historic drawings, and other museum objects available for an exhibit do not necessarily 1196

provide a comprehensive range of material to adequately tell the Saint Elizabeths’ story. A 1197 written history could provide the historical background for the available museum artifacts, rather 1198 than the museum artifacts driving the content of the book. 1199

1200 The content of the book should include, but not necessarily be limited to, as many of the 1201

interpretive themes and supporting storylines included in this interpretive plan as possible. GSA 1202 should consider stakeholder feedback which indicated a desire to understand the history of the 1203 site with an emphasis on the daily life of the institution and the people who lived and worked 1204

there. 1205 1206

Depending on the availability of funding, GSA could most efficiently achieve consistent content 1207 across the interpretive program by undertaking the research and writing of the book prior to 1208 development of other interpretive elements. The research required to produce a book could be 1209

used for the brochure series, the museum exhibit, the lesson plans, and the interpretive signage 1210

program, reducing the amount of additional research needed for each product. 1211 1212 At a minimum, the general size and length of the book should be similar to other GSA books, 1213

such as the 2008 publication Extending the Legacy: GSA Historic Building Stewardship. If there 1214 is a gap between the funding of the research and writing of the text and the production of an 1215

actual book, the text and any available illustrations should be made available in PDF format. 1216 1217

1218

31

SIGNAGE 1219

1220 The PA stipulates at line 754 that GSA develop an interpretive signage program: 1221 1222

“GSA will develop a permanent interpretive signage program for the West 1223 Campus that includes free-standing, exterior interpretive signs/panels that 1224 effectively inform and guide the reader, providing information on the history, 1225 significance and redevelopment of the Site. Interpretive signage will be designed 1226 and located in accordance with the Design Guidelines, developed as a campus-1227 wide program and implemented in accordance with the Interpretive Program.” 1228

1229 The development of the content of the interpretive signage program should closely follow the 1230 thematic priorities outlined earlier in this document. 1231

1232 Main Thematic Statement: Each component of the interpretive signage program 1233 should support and reinforce the main thematic statement. This should not hamper 1234

creativity or limit the inclusion of a broad range of storylines. The intention is to 1235 ensure that the interpretive signage program retains thematic focus. 1236

1237 Interpretive Themes: The Interpretive Themes should be used as a framework to 1238 organize the content of the entire signage program and the information included 1239

on the signs. Each of the broad main themes should be represented on at least one 1240 sign, but because there is overlap among some of the Interpretive Themes, it may 1241

not be feasible or desirable to segregate Interpretive Themes on different signs or 1242 within signs. 1243 1244

Supporting Storylines: The development of sign content should rely on the 1245

Supporting Storylines as a starting point for introducing specific details that 1246 support the Interpretive Themes. Most of the Supporting Storylines are not 1247 detailed enough to bring the Interpretive Themes to life or to personalize the Saint 1248

Elizabeths’ story. Care should be taken to illustrate Supporting Storylines with 1249 specific detail from existing research developed for other components of the 1250

Interpretive Program. 1251 1252

In addition to the role of the Main Thematic Statement, the Interpretive Themes, and Supporting 1253 Storylines in the Interpretive Signage program, there are additional parameters that should be 1254 incorporated into the signage program wherever possible. 1255 1256

The signage program should be developed as a complete, holistic, campus-wide program. 1257 If the signage program is implemented in phases, each phase should provide an 1258 interpretive story that is complete in itself. In this scenario, as new signage phases are 1259 implemented the content of the existing signs should be taken into account so that the 1260 overall signage program is comprehensive. 1261

1262 1263

32

Whenever possible, signs should refer to the setting to illustrate the themes explored on 1264 the sign. 1265

1266 In most cases, signs should emphasize interrelationships among buildings or functions 1267 wherever possible. 1268

1269

Interpretation of non-extant buildings that help illuminate the history of Saint Elizabeths 1270 should be included in the signage program. This includes buildings razed over the years 1271

as well as those razed as part of the redevelopment of the West Campus. 1272 1273

Sign size, design, and placement should be developed so as not to interfere or compete 1274 with the historic characteristics of the site, campus directional or informational signs or 1275 agency identification, and should be coordinated with the campus signage program. 1276

1277 Although not necessary to fulfill the PA stipulation, GSA and DHS may want to consider 1278 developing interpretive signage for the interiors of historic buildings for the benefit of DHS and 1279

GSA employees who use those buildings. Interior interpretive signage could tell employees and 1280 those with official business, the ways in which specific buildings were historically used. 1281 1282

The PA requires at line 912 that the Cemetery be included in the interpretive signage program. 1283 1284

The PA requires at line 762 that two temporary interpretive panels be prominently posted along 1285 Martin Luther King Avenue during the construction phase. These panels have been created by 1286 GSA and were installed near Gate 2 on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in March 2011. 1287

1288 1289

33

MUSEUM 1290

1291 The PA stipulates the development of a permanent museum exhibit on the history of Saint 1292 Elizabeths. 1293

1294 From line 724 of the PA: 1295 1296

“Permanent Exhibit: GSA will work with the Signatories and the Consulting 1297 Parties to design and develop a permanent interpretive exhibit, including a 1298 narrated video documenting the history, significance, redevelopment and future 1299

use of the Site. The exhibit, to be produced by GSA and housed off-Site, and not 1300 as part of an ISC Level 5 facility, will be publicly accessible and open to visitors. 1301 Online access will also be provided.” 1302

1303 From line 731 of the PA: 1304 1305

“St. Elizabeths Museum/Visitors Education Center: GSA will pursue partnerships 1306 with neighborhood and city organizations, agencies and associations to develop, 1307

ideally through a public-private partnership, a St. Elizabeths Museum/Visitors 1308 Education Center. The St. Elizabeths Museum/Visitors Center will include the 1309 exhibit, narrated video, oral history recordings, archaeological artifacts, 1310

maintained in accordance with federal curation standards, and other selected 1311 archive and project documentation material…Any proposal for the St. Elizabeths 1312

Museum/Visitors Center would detail hours of operation, staff support, and 1313 content. The location of the St. Elizabeths Museum/Visitors Center and further 1314 details of its operation have yet to be determined.” 1315

1316

1317 The following resources should be considered by curators for inclusion in the museum exhibit: 1318

Archaeological artifacts recovered from Saint Elizabeths 1319

Architectural details salvaged during the redevelopment process 1320

Reproductions of drawings from the American Architectural Foundation collection at the 1321 Library of Congress 1322

Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and Historic American Landscape Survey 1323 (HALS) documentation 1324

1325 GSA should also work to collect, from federal agencies and other institutions, objects once in the 1326

collection of the museum previously at Saint Elizabeths. 1327

1328

GSA has explored and should continue to explore partnering with the District of Columbia to 1329 locate the museum on the portions of the East Campus being redeveloped by the District. 1330 Locating the museum exhibit at Saint Elizabeths (but outside the secure federal facility) would 1331 enhance the visitor experience significantly. This would particularly be the case if the exhibit is 1332 housed in one of the existing buildings that are contributing resources to the NHL. 1333 1334

34

GSA should explore partnering with the existing Saint Elizabeths Hospital museum, which has a 1335

rich collection of artifacts that address most aspects of Saint Elizabeths’ history. The parties 1336 responsible for the museum’s collection are appropriately concerned with retaining control and 1337 ownership of those artifacts. There are many possible partnership agreements that could allow 1338

for the mingling of GSA and DC resources that would provide a meaningful museum experience 1339 but also protect the interests of each participating entity. 1340 1341 If possible, GSA’s Saint Elizabeths Database and Archive should be accessible to researchers at 1342 the museum. Currently the database and archives are available to researchers by contacting GSA. 1343

1344 GSA should continue to explore the possibility of partnering with the National Building 1345 Museum, the Anacostia Community Museum, or another institution. 1346 1347

The museum and its ongoing staffing and care present great challenges for GSA, an agency that 1348 is not in the business of operating museums. Finding a suitable location for the museum also 1349

presents challenges in terms of the availability of suitable space and the resources needed to 1350 acquire and build-out the museum space. 1351

1352

1353

35

PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM 1354

1355 The PA stipulates beginning on line 816 that GSA and DHS in consultation with the Consulting 1356 Parties to the PA develop policy and procedures to facilitate public access to the West Campus. 1357

It further requires that at a minimum the public be allowed limited, controlled, regular access to 1358 the Point, the Cemetery, and Hitchcock Hall. The PA and this Interpretive Plan recognize that all 1359 access will be pre-arranged and guided by GSA and DHS, and preserve the ability of GSA and 1360 DHS to ensure that the public access policy and procedures do not interfere with the security 1361 needs and protocols of a Level 5 ISC facility. 1362 1363

Based on stakeholder feedback, the public access program to be developed by GSA and DHS 1364 should explore the possibility of policies and procedures for the following types of public access: 1365 1366

Regular, scheduled, tours of the campus open to the general public. The success of 1367

the current monthly Saturday tours, conducted by GSA in conjunction with the DC 1368

Preservation League could serve as an appropriate benchmark in terms of both public 1369 benefit and government resource requirements. 1370

1371

School and educational group tours. A written policy should be developed that clearly 1372 states what kinds of groups will be considered for tours as well as any other relevant 1373

parameters or rules that would help schools and educational groups understand the 1374 opportunities and limitations related to visiting the West Campus. 1375

1376

Individual or group visitation of cemetery. Individual or group visitation of the West 1377 Campus cemetery should be allowed by appointment for those with legitimate reasons for 1378

visitation. These visits would be for the purpose of paying respects to a relative buried in 1379

the cemetery, commemoration of the civilian or military patients buried there, and 1380 cemetery research. 1381 1382

Individual researchers. A written policy should be developed to address the policies and 1383 procedures for considering whether or not individuals with research requests are granted 1384 controlled, guided access to the West Campus. 1385

1386 The public access program should include adequate internal policies and procedures for both 1387 GSA and DHS that clearly spell out how the program will be implemented, who is responsible 1388 for each step of the procedures, and guidelines for determining resource availability. 1389 1390

1391

1392

36

LESSON PLAN 1393

1394 The PA stipulates at line 786 that GSA develop a lesson plan: 1395 1396

“GSA proposes to work with the D.C. Public and Charter School System to 1397 develop a Lesson Plan on St. Elizabeths—Past, Present and Future—which 1398 includes themes on mental health care in D.C., historic preservation—1399 architecture, landscape; archaeological methods, prehistoric Native American, 1400 colonial, antebellum and postbellum use of St. Elizabeths; the Anacostia Historic 1401 District, and DHS. GSA will pursue, to further enhance this initiative, a 1402

partnership with NPS and its “Teaching with Historic Places” program to address 1403 lesson plans for several levels and interests.” 1404

1405

Existing research and research done to support the development of the book, brochure series, and 1406 museum should provide the content for the lesson plans, depending on the availability of funds. 1407 1408

GSA should work with the DC Public and Charter School System to determine pedagogical 1409 approach and implementation requirements best suited for use in DC Public and Charter Schools 1410

(e.g., onetime lesson modules, subject matter integrated into other parts of curriculum, etc.). 1411 1412 To cover the subject areas stipulated in the PA, lesson plans should be developed for three broad 1413

themes: 1414

Mental healthcare in Washington, DC 1415

History of Saint Elizabeths (including prehistoric Native American, colonial, antebellum, 1416 postbellum, and the 20th-century, its relationship with the Anacostia Historic District, 1417

and its transition to use as headquarters for DHS) 1418

Historic Preservation including architecture, landscape, archaeology, and archeological 1419 methods 1420

1421

GSA, in conjunction with the DC Public and Charter School Systems, should assess the value of 1422 using the National Park Service’s “Teaching with Historic Places” program for development of 1423

some or all lesson plans. 1424

1425

37

Opportunities and Issues 1426

1427 For any Interpretive Plan there are many opportunities and issues that need to be embraced or overcome. 1428 The following lists include some of the salient and unique opportunities and issues specific to GSA’s 1429 efforts to implement its interpretive program at Saint Elizabeths. 1430 1431

OPPORTUNITIES 1432

1433 The redevelopment of the West Campus will bring approximately 14,000 people into daily contact with 1434 the history of Saint Elizabeths and GSA’s interpretive program for the site. 1435 1436 Even after redevelopment of the West Campus is complete, Saint Elizabeths will remain a fine example 1437 of an intact hospital complex with an extensive collection of historic buildings and landscapes. 1438 1439 Since 2003, GSA has been commissioning and collecting extensive research and documentation that 1440 provide a solid foundation for interpretive activities. 1441 1442 The Washington, DC area is rich with research resources including the Library of Congress, the 1443 Washingtoniana Collection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library, and the Saint Elizabeths 1444 collections at the National Archives and Records Administration. 1445 1446 GSA regional and national staff has a wide range of experience and expertise that will be helpful in the 1447 implementation of many interpretive activities. 1448 1449 Archaeological deposits dating from pre-contact times to the development of the hospital will remain after 1450 redevelopment is complete. 1451 1452

ISSUES 1453

1454 Implementation of the elements in this Interpretive Plan is subject to budgeting decisions that are 1455 sometimes not within the control of GSA. 1456 1457 Although GSA regional and national staff has a wide range of experience and expertise helpful in the 1458 implementation of many interpretive activities, GSA’s core mission is focused elsewhere. 1459

1460

1461

38

Existing Interpretive Activities and Next Steps 1462

1463

EXISTING INTERPRETIVE ACTIVITIES 1464

1465 A number of interpretive activities are ongoing, underway, or completed: 1466 1467 Public Access: Although a formal public access program still needs to be created, GSA offers the general 1468 public monthly tours nine months of the year in conjunction with the DC Preservation League. 1469 1470 Interpretive Signage: Pursuant to a stipulation in the PA, GSA created and installed two interpretive 1471 panels accessible to the general public along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue near Gate 2. 1472 1473 Brochure: GSA collaborated with the DC Preservation League in the production of a brochure, published 1474 in October 2011, on the history of Saint Elizabeths. 1475 1476 Oral Histories: GSA has completed the collection of oral histories. An annotated index of those 1477 interviews is included in Appendix A. As research and implementation of interpretive components 1478 continues, GSA will continue to collect relevant oral histories when possible. 1479 1480 Saint Elizabeths Archives: Until public access to GSA’s Saint Elizabeths Archives can be facilitated 1481 under the auspices of a Saint Elizabeths Museum as discussed in this Interpretive Plan, researchers may 1482 have access to the archives by contacting GSA. 1483

NEXT STEPS 1484

1485 In order to keep momentum for interpretive activities GSA should consider: 1486 1487 Book/Monograph: Apply personnel resources to the research and writing of the book text. Doing so 1488 sooner rather than later will take advantage of existing personnel knowledge base and familiarity with 1489 both the project and the history of Saint Elizabeths. Depending on the availability of funding, completing 1490 the research and writing ahead of other interpretive activities will also provide the research needed for 1491 those activities and reduce duplication of effort. 1492 1493 Budgeting: Develop a plan to divide interpretive program elements into smaller discrete projects to 1494 account for limited funding. The goal should be to make some progress each fiscal year. 1495 1496 Museum: Continue to discuss museum partnership with the District of Columbia to leverage momentum 1497 of the District’s redevelopment plans for the East Campus. 1498 1499 1500

1501

39

Appendix A: Programmatic Agreement 1502

1503 1504

40

Appendix B: Oral History Index 1505

1506 1507 1508 1509

Index to Oral Histories

TitleDate of

InterviewDescription Index Duration

Rev. Dr. Clark S. Aist 10/18/2011 Rev. Dr. Aist took a class in clinical pastoral

care at St. Elizabeths in 1962 while a grad

student at Wesley Theological Seminary. He

went on to do a one-year internship and a

three-year residency at St. Elizabeths,

followed by work in the Chaplaincy at St.

Elizabeths until his retirement in 2004.

Part 1: Background - class in clinical pastoral care at St. Elizabeths

(1962) - one-year internship beginning in 1963 - role of chaplaincy and

interaction with patients - three-year residency - joins staff - training

officer - discussion of psychodrama - Overholser's role - art therapy -

movement therapy - 1976 Director of Chaplaincy - promotion and dual

role (1983)

0:52:22

Rev. Dr. Clark S. Aist 10/18/2011 Rev. Dr. Aist took a class in clinical pastoral

care at St. Elizabeths in 1962 while a grad

student at Wesley Theological Seminary. He

went on to do a one-year internship and a

three-year residency at St. Elizabeths,

followed by work in the Chaplaincy at St.

Elizabeths until his retirement in 2004.

Part 2: Decline in patient population - medical facility - patient

conditions - human warehousing - geriatrics - Sunday services -

interactive sermons - partnerships between churches and outpatient

care - funerals - forensics - childhood memory of St. Elizabeths - final

thought on mentally ill in society

0:45:05

Dr. Patrick J. Canavan 9/23/2011 Dr. Canavan worked at St. Elizabeths from

1993 to 1999 and then again as CEO from

2007 to the present.

Background - description of job during 1990s - Mariel boat lift -

explanation of forensic and civil patients - Dorothea Dix and moral

treatment - Career away from St. Elizabeths - Importance of "the Point"

0:37:29

Dr. Oscar Dodek 9/19/2011 Dr. Dodek is a retired Gynecologist who

provided gynecological services at St.

Elizabeths one day a week from

approximately 1963 to 1966. He also did a

psychology rotation and a surgical rotation

at St. Elizabeths while he was a medical

student at George Washington University in

the mid-1950s.

Background - med school rotations in 1950s - surgical rotation -

Freudian techniques in 1950s - relative at Saint Elizabeths - history after

med school - gynecology practice at Saint Elizabeths in 1960s - details

about gynecology practice at Saint Elizabeths - patient resistance to

gynecology procedures - no preventive care - pregnancies - abortion in

DC - quality of care - lobotomies - general impressions of Saint

Elizabeths - non-scientific treatment - patients without mental illness

0:29:28

Mr. Joseph Henneberry 12/8/2011 Mr. Henneberry began work as a registered

nurse at Saint Elizabeths in 1967. He work

for an additional 30 years as Director of the

Forensic Division.

Part 1: Background - 1967 - supervisory nurse on CT4 - Director of

Forensic Division - Cruvent Division - DC General - career history

0:13:13

Mr. Joseph Henneberry 12/8/2011 Mr. Henneberry began work as a registered

nurse at Saint Elizabeths in 1967. He work

for an additional 30 years as Director of the

Forensic Division.

Part 2: Career history - Patuxent Institution - interaction with patients -

deinstitutionalization - recreational use of campus - homicides on

campus - John Hinckley - Richard Lawrence: would be assassin of

Andrew Jackson - final impressions - living conditions

0:27:53

Dr. Joseph A. Jurand 10/8/2011 Dr. Jurand grew up at Saint Elizabeths

where his father was a doctor. Dr. Jurand

also worked at Saint Elizabeths beginning in

the 1970s and directed the play "POUND"

about Ezra Pound's time at Saint Elizabeths.

Part 1: Background - childhood on campus - going to school in Congress

Heights - Jewish community - Hitchcock Hall - history of his father and

mother - holocaust survivors - school and medical training - Howard

University - Externship and residency at St Es - 1975-1978 - Dr. Fuller

Torrey - contrast of work at Saint Elizabeths and private practice

1:08:18

Dr. Joseph A. Jurand 10/8/2011 Dr. Jurand's grew up at Saint Elizabeths

where his father was a doctor. Dr. Jurand

also worked at Saint Elizabeths beginning in

the 1970s and directed the play "POUND"

about Ezra Pound's time at Saint Elizabeths.

Part 2: career post St Es 0:03:59

Judge Ann O'Regan Keary 12/19/2011 Judge Keary was hired at Saint Elizabeths as

a Staff Attorney in 1976. Over the years she

was promoted and worked at Saint

Elizabeths until she was appointed a judge

in 1992.

Background - 1976 hired by Colleen Kollar-Kotelly - role of staff attorney

- Jackson case - legal counsel to hospital - Judge Fred Ugast - Dusky v.

US - defendant review backlog for court system - use of West Campus -

role of counsel - Dixon Case - transfer from federal jurisdiction to DC -

Hinckley - changes in insanity defense - Harry Fulton - public defenders

office - review board - educating Judges in court system about mental

health - 1964 progressive patient rights statute - being appointed judge

Ms. Janet L. Maher 11/15/2011 Ms. Maher began work in the legal office at

Saint Elizabeths in 1987 and is currently the

Department of Justice Compliance Officer

for Saint Elizabeths.

Department of Justice compliance - Began in 1987 - transfer from

federal jurisdiction to DC - uses on the West Campus in 1980s - the

Point - 1992 became legal division director - career trajectory at Saint

Elizabeths - impressions of institution when arrived in 1987 -

deinstitutionalization - Dixon suit in 1974 - Mayor Williams - Dixon

closure projected for 2012 - 1990s - 1997 into receivership - Irvin Act

was model act for patient committal - 2005 DOJ investigation - 2007

returned to Saint Elizabeths as compliance officer - details of reporting

requirements - status of DOJ settlement - Roger Olian (St Es worker who

jumped into Potomac after Air Florida crash)

1:08:36

Mr. Peter Martz 10/20/2011 While a college student Mr. Martz worked

in the warehouse and then again as an

administrative assistant on a clinical ward

after college.

Work in warehouse in 1969 - meat cutters - work on O'Malley Division -

employee cafeteria - interaction with patients - 1973 to 1976 worked as

admin asst - Hitchcock - daily life - neighborhood businesses -

impressions of Saint Elizabeths - deaths and suicides - post St Es career -

deinstitutionalization - move to District control

0:56:53

Dr. Paul Montalbano 12/15/2011 Dr. Montalbano began an internship at

Saint Elizabeths in 1987 where he worked

for three years. He returned to Saint

Elizabeths in 1998 to work in the Forensic

Division where he worked until 2009.

Background - 1987 internship - perceptions of Saint Elizabeths before

internship - general impressions - patient population in 1987 - John

Howard Hall and Forensic Division - DC Statute 501 - Michael Jones -

American Legal Institute Standards - Jackson cases on competency -

Patuxent Institute - Henneberry - 1998 return to Saint Elizabeths -

Raymond Patterson - Dixon Case - Homicides at Saint Elizabeths -

"product test" - 1956 flip flop case - Michael Jones - John Hinckley -

Richard Lawrence - Charles Guiteau - NIMH - Ezra Pound - Access to

West Campus in 1980s and 1990s - background on Dorothea Dix -

Transcendentalism - Congressman Daniel Sickles - sexual psychopathic

laws - Kansas v. Hendricks - final thoughts.

1:15:04

Mr. Ralph K. Nelson 11/1/2011 Mr. Nelson grew up and lives in Congress

Heights and worked briefly at Saint

Elizabeths. Both of this grandparents and

his father worked at Saint Elizabeths.

Background - grandfathers worked on campus in bakery and grounds -

father worked in shop - 1967 worked in Detached 2 - typical day in D2 -

economic engine for Congress Heights - 1968 riots

0:36:17

Dr. Roger Peele 9/30/2011 Beginning with a medical rotation

internship at St. Elizabeths from 1960-61,

Dr. Peele worked at St. Elizabeths from

1960 to 1995. Among other positions, he

worked on the hospital faculty, was

Assistant Superintendent as well as Acting

Superintendent.

Part 1: Rotation internship 1960 - use of Center Building - Homosexuals -

patient laborers - psych residency - NIMH - Treatments and therapies -

Quality of Life in 1960s - Faculty at St. Es - Dix building - Dr. Boyer -

Admissions in 1960s - lobotomies - White division

1:21:20

Dr. Roger Peele 9/30/2011 Beginning with a medical rotation

internship at St. Elizabeths from 1960-61,

Dr. Peele worked at St. Elizabeths from

1960 to 1995. Among other positions, he

worked on the hospital faculty, was

Assistant Superintendent as well as Acting

Superintendent.

Part 2: Decline of patient population - 1969-1973 - 1973 became asst

superintendent - feds vs. DC - John Hinckley - exodus from Center

Building - cottages -

0:50:19

Captain Savannis A. Peoples 10/13/2011 Captain Peoples is the retired chief of

security at Saint Elizabeths.

1970s USMC - start in security at Saint Elizabeths - description of staff

and shifts - John Howard building - children in CT 8 - Mariel Boat Lift in

Home and Relief - relationship with federal forces - Burroughs cottage -

employee cafeteria

0:36:35

Mr. James E. Pittman 10/5/2011 Mr. Pittman worked for NIMH during the

transition from federal to DC control of

Saint Elizabeths.

Part 1: Background - first association with St. Es - 1969 part of NIMH

team - District payments to feds prior to transfer - patient population at

time of transfer - Wm White Division - disposition of land after transfer -

Dixon suit - perceptions of St Es and early experiences

0:42:50

Mr. James E. Pittman 10/5/2011 Mr. Pittman worked for NIMH during the

transition from federal to DC control of

Saint Elizabeths.

Part 2: John Howard Building - John Hinckley 0:07:52

Dr. E. Fuller Torry 10/26/2011 Dr. Torrey worked at Saint Elizabeths in the

1970s and 1980s.

Background - 1977 - Richardson Division - Dr. Robert Keisling - Dr. Roger

Peele - impression of Saint Elizabeths - typical day - admissions - Noyes

Division - Ezra Pound - twin studies - brain studies - forensic ward -

sociopathy

0:47:51

Dr. Clotilde Vidoni-Clark 11/15/2011 Dr. Vidoni-Clark is a nurse who has worked

at Saint Elizabeths since 1973. Her current

position is Acting Nursing Chief Executive.

Background - hired as a clinical specialist in 1973 - Eileen Tilley - Eunice

Smith (first Black director of nursing) - deinstitutionalization - 1970s -

1980s - forensic wards - late 1980s - 1990s general decline - loss of

accreditation - Mayor Williams - 2000s - Impressions of Saint Elizabeths

in 1970s - current position - history of nursing at Saint Elizabeths

0:48:32

Dr. Henry S. Wicker 12/12/2011 In about 1962 Dr. Wicker became the first

full-time ophthalmologist to work at Saint

Elizabeths. In 2011 he still works there

three morning a week.

Background - Howard University Medical School - Air Force - 1962

began at Saint Elizabeths - pioneered doing eye surgery on mental

health patients - busy practice led to residency program with George

Washington University medical school - deinstitutionalization and

outsourcing - impressions of campus - use of The Point for fireworks

viewing - retirement - Dr. William Whitmore

0:26:56

Mr. Fred L. Wineland 9/26/2011 Mr. Wineland grew up in Congress Heights,

married a nurse from the Nursing School at

St. Elizabeths and lived in Congress Heights

after marriage while managing local movie

theater.

Background - Childhood in Congress Heights - Anacostia Bridge -

patients in neighborhood - St. Elizabeths as job generator in Depression -

Nursing school - manager of Anacostia Theater - Patients at movies -

Hitchcock Hall considered competition - tunnel system - marriage

proposal on The Point - Overholser - trolley cars - Local restaurants -

campus railroad

1:04:25

Dr. Robert K. Wineland 9/26/2011 Dr. Wineland grew up in Congress Heights,

went to school with children of St.

Elizabeths employees, did a psych rotation

at St. Elizabeths while a medical student at

George Washington University in

1940s/50s, had Dr. Overholser and Dr.

Freeman as professors at GWU.

Part 1: Background - childhood in Congress Heights - friends with kids of

St. Elizabeths patients - Med school - Overholser and Freeman as

professors - Ezra Pound - patients screaming - Rotation at St. Elizabeths -

medical career (not at St. Elizabeths)

1:06:22

Dr. Robert K. Wineland 9/26/2011 Dr. Wineland grew up in Congress Heights,

went to school with children of St.

Elizabeths employees, did a psych rotation

at St. Elizabeths while a medical student at

George Washington University in

1940s/50s, had Dr. Overholser and Dr.

Freeman as professors at GWU.

Part 2: Continuation of career - retired in 2000 - steel plant near Bolling

Field - Dance Hall on Nichols Ave - Sledding on hill looking up at St. Es -

Got to know patients - Bonus Army

0:28:22

Mr. Carter L. Wormeley 11/17/2011 Mr. Wormeley is an Asset Manager for GSA

who has been involved with the

redevelopment of Saint Elizabeths since

2001.

Role of Asset Manager at GSA - first involvement with St Es in 2001 -

planning for re-use - first impressions of St Es - Coast Guard - historical

research about St Es - Urban Oasis - wildlife on campus - the "DC 5"

(buildings once owned by DC on the West Campus)

0:40:46

41

Appendix C: Bibliography 1510

1511 Beck, Larry and Ted Cable. Interpretation for the 21st Century, 2nd edition. Champaign, IL: Sagamore 1512

Publishing, 2002. 1513 1514 Edmondson, Brad. "Beautiful Minds." Preservation News, November/December 2004: 26-32. 1515 1516 EHT Traceries Inc. Saint Elizabeths Hospital East Campus Historic Documentation Inventory. Washington, 1517

DC: District of Columbia Office of Planning, July 2011. 1518 1519 Heritage Landscapes LLC and Robinson & Associates, Inc. St. Elizabeths West Campus Cultural Landscape 1520

Report. Washington, DC: U.S. General Services Administration, April 2009. 1521 1522 John Milner Associates, Inc. and Robinson & Associates, Inc. St. Elizabeths Hospital North Campus Study 1523

Area Landscape Assessment Plan. Washington, DC: U.S. General Services Administration, December 1524 2009. 1525

1526 John Milner Associates, Inc. and Robinson & Associates, Inc. St. Elizabeths Hospital Shepherd Parkway 1527

Study Area Draft Landscape Assessment Plan. Washington, DC: U.S. General Services Administration, 1528 December 2009. 1529

1530 Kanhouwa, Surya and Kenneth Gorelick. "A Century of Pathology at Saint Elizabeths Hospital." Archives 1531

of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (College of American Pathologists) 121, no. 1 (January 1997): 1532 84-89. 1533

1534 Kanhouwa, Suryabala and Jogues Prandoni. "The Civil War and St. Elizabeth's Hospital." The Journal of 1535

Civil War Medicine (The Society of Civil War Surgeons) 9, no. 1 (January/February/March 2005): 1-1536 15. 1537

1538 Knudson, Douglas M., Ted T. Cable, and Larry Beck. Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources, 2nd 1539

edition. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc., 2003. 1540 1541 Longfellow National Historic Site Staff. Longfellow National Historic Site Comprehensive Interpretive 1542

Plan. National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Cambridge, MA: Longfellow National 1543 Historic Site, December 2004. 1544

1545 McMillen, Frances M. and James S. Kane. "Institutional Memory: The Records of St. Elizabeths Hospital 1546

at the National Archives." Prologue 42, no. 2 (Summer 2010): 46-53. 1547 1548 McMillen, Frances Margaret. "Ministering to a Mind Diseased: Landscape, Architecture, and Moral 1549

Treatment at St. Elizabeths Hospital, 1852 - 1905." Unpublished Master's Thesis, Department of 1550 Architecture History, University of Virginia, May 2008. 1551

1552 Millikan, Frank Rives. Wards of the Nation: The Making of St. Elizabeths Hospital, 1852-1920. PhD 1553

Dissertation, The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The George Washington University, Ann 1554 Arbor, MI: UMI, 1989. 1555

1556

42

National Park Service. Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Interpretive Plan. National Park 1557 Service, Department of the Interior, Annapolis, MD: NPS Chesapeake Bay Office, January 2011. 1558

1559 National Park Service. Vancouver National Historic Reserve Long-Range Interpretive Plan. National Park 1560

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