Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-24
THE SOUTHWESTERN ASYLUM
Report OF the Commissioners ns Forwnrded
10 the General Assembly.

10 the General Assembly.
The report OF the commissioners who
were appointed 10 locate the new lunatic
asylum was recently forwarded to the Gen.
eral Assembly by the Governor. and Is as
follows: 80,
BLAcKsBuRG, Va, August 1, 1884.
To Has Ercelisncv Governor William y.
Cameron and the Board Of Pubic
Works OF Virginia:
We. Samuel II. Mofiett. Ferdinand 10
rer, T.. W. Nichols, Charles w. Statham.
and Harvey Black, majority OF the Board
Of Commissioners appointed by an act OF
the Virginia Legislature, approved Marcn
Is, 1884, for the purpose OK selecting u site
for another lunatIe asylum, TO be known as
the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum, met IN
pursuance OF said act at Central depot. III
the county OF Montgomery, June =, lost'
and organized by the selection oil ,. H.
Moffett as president and f.. w. Nichols as
secretary. Committees from the counties
VI Washington, Smyth, Wythe, and Taze-
well. and the corporations OF Abingdon,
Marion. and Wytheville, appeared ana Ten
dered sites for the proposed asylum
on behalf OF their respective counties
and corporations, and invited the Board
OF Commissioners to visit the different points
enumerated. We proceeded 10 examine
thoroughly and carefully all the sites SUD-
mitted for our inspection at the above
named places. An additional site was sub
sequently rendered by the corporation OF
Glade Spring and the county OF Washing
ton, which was also visited and inspected.
We deem II proper to state that the sites
offered were all valuable aud costly, and
that the representatives OF the different
counties and corporations exhibited amost
liberal and commendabie spirit in their ef-
forts to furnish for the use OF the State pro-
perty adapted 10 the important require
ments Of the proposed new asylum. The
committee Of the counties and corpora
tions rendering sites employed the most
skilful and competent engineers and sur
vey0rs, who furnished them with full
information In their reports with re-
gard TO water-supply and elevation.
surveys. and plots OF ground, and all
information necessary to an intelligent ap-
| probation Of the merits OF the respective
sites. All Of these reports were forwarded
to the commission prior to its second meet
ing, July lG, 1854. On August 1st, we
! completed full examination OF the differ
ent reports, surveys, &C., submitted by the
! committees, engineers. and surveyors. We
new asylum the land known as the Atkins.
| PenGetOn land. living near Marion, in
| Smytne county. and situated between
staey's creek and the'lIolston river. These
| lands are offered by the county Of Smyth
I and the corporation Of Marion. and contain
/ in all about 2O7 acres. OF which about l6O
! acres is farming land Of very high grade
and great value. The residue Is wood
. inflffIlnR small
acres, on which one OF the springs
/ il located. This site is. in our
! opinion. a most eligible and desirable one.
admirably located one hall mile from the
court-housc and the same same distance
/ from the railroad station, and is upon an
elevated plateau upon Staley's creek and
Ilolston river, and possesses great and un-
usual advantages a. TO drainage and sew
erHge. This land and the buildings to be
erected thereon can be supplied with an
enormous amount OF splendid frecstone
water from three springs which have been
secured for the use OF your asylum. Two
Of these springs are a little over two miles
from the proposed aSy lum site, and have an
/ elevation Of from 50 10 81 feet above the
site; the third spring, distant about one
and one half miles, has an elevation
! Of about IL feet. The supply oi
water from the three springs will
afford. probably, one and one half mil
lions OF gallons per day. The right of use
Of the two upper and larger springs has
been secured. and the smaller and lower
spring has been purchased in fee. Owing
to the inability OF the supervisors OF the
| counties TO bind their respective counties by
a contract, neeessitating the imposition OF q
heavy tax, the commissioners have required
escrOws or deeds contingent upon such fu-
ture aud supplemental legislation as vii
render their action valid. These escrowS
together with plots, survey notes, report o
citZen's committee. of surveyor. &c, &c.
are herewith forwarded to your ExSellency
Very respectfully,
SAMCEL III. MUFFEIT,
FERDINAND RORER,
l.. W. NICHOLS,
CHARLES W. STArHAM,
II. BLACK.