The abandoned mental institution... a brief summary of its history is below, with the rest of the details at this [link]


Up until the late 1800's and even into the early 1900's, people with mental illnesses were often treated as outcasts of society. Many were locked in prisons or put away in what were then called 'lunatic asylums'. Within these institutions, care was often shoddy and medical treatment rare. However, in 1919, when Whitby Psychiatric Hospital opened, a new era in the humane treatment of the mentally ill began.

One of the most refreshing aspects of Whitby was the physical site situated 50 km. east of Toronto. Purchased by the Provincial Government early in 1912, the grounds originally consisted of 640 acres of treed and fertile farmland that sloped gently to Lake Ontario at the south. For patients who had previously been housed in dark, dank asylums with barred windows, Whitby offered fresh air, sunshine, space to walk...and an opportunity to heal.

In 1911, the architect, James Govan, working with a team of advisory psychiatrists, physicians and government officials, presented his design for the Whitby Hospital. Govan's design called for a series of 16 cottages, each housing approximately 70 patients, situated in a village-like setting amongst winding treed avenues. While the exterior design of the cottages was strongly influenced by German architecture, any other similarity stopped there...