Campuses & Institutions

Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Historic West Campus
Washington, District of Columbia

Heritage Landscapes conducted a landscape condition assessment of the historical West Campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital as a component of a comprehensive preservation assessment. Developed from 1852 to the early 1940s, the 176-acre West Campus is a nationally significant historic resource that documents the evolution of medical treatment for mental health patients with the landscape as a therapeutic, scenic resource. Identified as one of America's most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the formerly abandoned "Government Hospital for the Insane" was advocated for by 19th century social reformer Dorothea Dix, laid out according to Kirkbride Plan by architect of the U.S. Capitol Thomas U. Walter and first superintendent Charles H. Nichols, and visited during the Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln.

Heritage Landscapes initially gained an understanding of the landscape history by reviewing previous studies and by obtaining and studying historical maps and photographs. Extensive fieldwork included detailed mapping and condition assessment of extant landscape features by applying a custom ranking system for observed conditions. Some 230 grand old trees, of the over-600 native and ornamental specimens assessed, were particularly significant for cultivating a sense of the historical therapeutic landscape. A Civil War cemetery and panoramic views over the core of the City of Washington and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers added distinctive character to the campus. To establish priorities and budgets, Heritage Landscapes crafted recommendations for landscape conservation through a combination of site work, maintenance and management.

The Landscape Assessment Plan provided a baseline for historic campus conservation highlighting the uniqueness and significance of the landscape. Completed in August 2005 for the General Services Administration, the landscape assessment is a component of the overall campus assessment of historic building, archaeology, and landscape. This comprehensive cultural resources assessment is aiding GSA in proceeding with effective planning for the reuse of the West Campus.

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