Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-02-25
Grant County's NeW Asylum
Is NoW Nearing Completion
Costs About 81 Is Thoroughly Fire Proof and VIII
Comfortably Care For 200 Patients-One of the
Very Best Asylums in the State

Grant County 8 new asylum for its
insane, conceded to be the finest and
most completely fire-proof county
asylum in the state of Wisconsin, is
now nearing completion and within a
few weeks will be ready for occup-
ancy.
1t is a splendid structure, with
walls of dark colored vitrified brick,
upon heavy foundation walls of native
stone and concrete, supplemented
throughout with massive work in
concrete and steel. When completed
it will accommodate easily and in
the best of comfort at least 20U
patients, and is supplied with all of
the modern day conveniences in heat
ing plumbing. ventilation and santa
ton.
The structure has central build
ing with large wing leading in a
diagonal direction to the northeast
and similar wing leading diagonally
to the southeast, each of them full
two stories in height and basement. It
is full quarter of mile around the
building.
The contractors are Wagner &
Baumann, of Monroe, Wis. one or
the other of whom have been regular
ly upon the job from the time the
building was started and Supervising
Architect Henry Kleinhammer, of
Platteville has been constantly in
charge. looking after the detail of
construction for the county. Not a
thing is done but what hes his watch
full supervision, backed up by the
careful attention and approval of
Superintendent NJ V. Burris. the
building committee and the board of
trustees some of whom are always in
touch with the work and make fire.
quent visits to the institution.
The publisher of The Herald visit
ed the asylum last Friday and was
conducted to every part of the
structure, upon each of its three
floors. 1t is difficult to describe in
detail such. a building so that a
mental picture can be had of it by
the reader, but a brief description
will perhaps be of interest, as every
resident of the county feels personal
concern in the building, which is be-
ing provided at public expense for the
coanty's unfortunate citizens whose
reason has been detnroned and who
will receive care and treatment at the
institution
To begin with, the building is
situated in the center of magni-
ficently large and we'll shaded lawn
upon the east side of the highway.
two and one half miles southeast of
the city of Lancaster
In the center, facing west toward
the highway, is the main building
with very capacious, open porch,
two stories in height, with walls and
pillars of brick and floors of TaraZza,
an Italian composition of concrete,
into which is Embedded shell-like
chips of marble and granite, which
are rolled perfectly smooth and level
and then polished by an electrically
operated machine, which produces a
surface resembling polished granite,
beautiful to look upon, everlasting in
quality and easily kept clean. The
approach to this porch is by a wide
flight of stone steps from the level OF
the lawn.
The west portion of the main build
ing will be known as the Administered
tion department. Opening into this
from the front porch is a hallway
from which on the north are located
the reception and administration of
fees, which will be the official head
quarters of the superintendent and
where the business meetings of the
board of trustees will be held. Open
ing off of this will be the dispepsary,
where the supply of medicines etc.
for the Institution will be kept. In
this Office will also be telephone ex-
change, connecting with every part OF
the institution, and so arranged that
no telephone communication may be
had by one attendant or employe with
another except through connection
made by the person in charge of this
exchange.
Opposite these Offices, on the south
side of the hallway, is the family
living room and dining room, with
bath and toilet room adjoining on the
south side of the hall. and store room
on the north side. A main stairway
leads from the hall, near the west
entrance, to the floors above. The
walls are of plastered masonry, paint
ed in attractive and harmonious
shades. and the doors and finishings
are of polished birch, stained IN
imitation of mah0oanv Dlain in