Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-09
CARE OF COUNTY'S INSANE,
Is TOLD BY DR.. GUY PAYNE
Medical Head of Hospital Tells History Steps Taken
Care for Patients.

! report by the warden that up to that
time, or since 1872, Essex county had
saved by the adoption of county care
for the insane 1884, 1855. In other
words, this was the savings in the
costs. as compared with the charges
previously paid the State.
The other matter of interest was
! the fact that during the year a grand
jury, of which the late Leslie d. Ward
was foreman, had made a present.
ment advising direct medical care of
the insane in the county asylum.
In September, 1884, James E. How
ell, now vice chancellor, then a
| member of the Board of Freeholders,
had a resolution adopted charging the
style of internal management of the
asylum, by placing a competent ply
sic-an in full charge as superntend-
ent, and on November 19, 1884, DR..
Livingston S. Hinekley was appointed
to the position.
The first patients had been re-
ceived at the South Orange avenue
institution just ten days prior to
the appointment of Dr. Hinckley,
when 351 patients were removed from
the Camden street institution to the
new buildings on South Orange ave
nue..
On July is, 1885, ground for a new
wing for the South Orange avenue
asylum was broken and on July 20,
1889, the new wing was occupied.
This was afterward known as the
southeast wing. On July /, 1889, 35
Essex county patients were trans
ferred from the Morris Plains insti-
tuition, and on July %, the same
year. IS more were brought to their
home county. On October Is, 1890,
ground was broken for a kitchen
and laundry annex and on May 10,
1891, the erection of what was later
called the southwest wing was au-
| thorized. The kitchen and laundry
annex were occupied in September,
1891, and the southwest wing on
August 10. 1893.
On June IA, 1894 on a resolution
offered by Patrick Lupton, chairman
Of the committee on lunacy, the
name of the institution was changed
| from Essex County Asylum for the
| Insane to Essex County Hospital for
the Insane, thus doing away with
| the use of the word asylum" in
connection with the institution.
The first, step toward the building
of the present magnificent group of
buildings at Cedar Grove was on
May 10, 1896, when a contract was
approved for the purchase of about
800 acres OF farm property at Cedar
Grove as the site for branch hos
pital and on October % of the same
year, contract was awarded for
the building of the branch hospital,
which Is now known as the star"
building of the Cedar Grove group.
This building was ready for the
reception of patients on December
10, 1893, when 1872 male and 142 female
patients were transferred from the
main hospital in Newark to the new
branch. On May 9. 1900, the con-
struction of q wing to the branch
hospital was authorized and this
wing was occupied on October 5,
1901, rs patients being transferred
from the Newark Hospital. On Au-
gust 10, 1903, O contract for another
wing to the branch hospital was
awarded.
In the meantime. on March l, 1901,
DR.. Hinckley resigned as superin-
tendent of the Essex County Hospi-
tai, and was succeeded BY DR.. Daniel
S. Dill DR. Hinckley was the head
OF the institution for seventeen years.
On March %, 1906. the State Legis-
lature passed an act authorizing the
consolidation of the county hospitals,
the Board of F'reeholders having de-
cided to do away with the South Or
ange avenue institution and group all
the buildings for the care of the in
sane at Cedar Grove.
Following the passage of the act
and due to the absolute necessity for
the abandonment of the South Orange
avenue hospital due to the encroach-
ments of residents and many other
reasons, the Board of Freeholders got
busy with plans for buildings at
Cedar Grove designed not only to
take care of all the patients then in
the South Orange avenue hospital,
but also to provide for the natural
increase for several years to come.
Plans submitted by Hurd and Sui
ton, architects, were adopted by the
Board of Freeholders on June IA, 1906.
These plans called for the erection Of
twenty three buildings. These build
ings. with some few additions since
1906, now constitute the present
county hospital, which has been pro-
nounced by architects, persons con-
nected with other hospitals for the
| insane and members of the medical
profession, as well as laymen familiar
with the needs of careful handling
| of the insane, as one of the best
adapted group of buildings in tine
| world for the purpose.
| The hospital group consists of five
hospital ward buildings, connected
with each other by one-story corri1
doris, with adjacent dining halls. to-
gether with the administration build
| ing and kitchen, with their various
communicating and service corridors
| The administration buildings contains