SENATE….No. 8.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

To His Excellency Henry J, Gardner, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to the Honorable Council :—

The Trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital, at Northampton, submit the following

REPORT:

After their appointment, one of the first subjects which claimed their attention was the extent of their powers, and of course of their duty, as to the building for the hospital which is in process of erection. After a careful examination of the acts of the legislature bearing upon the question, they became satisfied that the superintendency of the building had been untrusted, exclusively, to the commissioners appointed for that purpose; and they have, therefore, forborne any interference with that trust. They entertained no doubt, however, that the care of the real estate, connected with the hospital, properly belonged to themselves. 

Upon inquiry they found that the management of the farm had been undertaken by S.S. Standley, Esq., one of the commissioners, and in consequence of the late period in the season at which they received their commissions, they deemed it expedient to request Mr. Stanley to continue in the management, to which he consented. His account is annexed to this Report. 

The receipts from the farm during the present year are not to be considered a test of its productiveness, as little has been done upon it, more than was necessary to preserve the crops growing on the land.

The site of the hospital is excellent, and in natural beauty the scenery about it can hardly be surpassed; but though the commissioners have availed themselves of the advantages of the situation in a judicious manner, yet after the building is completed, much will remain to be done before the objects contemplated by the legislature can be realized. Much labor will be required for the removal of the earth about the north-westerly angle of the building, at which point the foundation is sunk several feet below the surface of the soil; avenues and walks are to be opened, and planted with shade trees and shrubbery; fences are to be made or repaired; a suitable portion of the land is to be prepared and in closed for the use and convenience of the inmates; stock and farming utensils are to be provided; and the necessary furniture for the hospital is to be purchased and placed in the building. 

The attractiveness of the place, and in some degree even the usefulness of the institution, will depend upon the manner in which the grounds are laid out and arranged. The Trustees have been desirous of fixing upon some general plan of improvements, which can be gradually carried out, in part, it is hoped, by the voluntary labor of the patients. With this object in view, a majority of them have visited several similar institutions; they have also consulted a gentleman of taste and experience in this department, who has examined the grounds, and aided them by his suggestions and advice, but they have not found it necessary to commence its execution. 

The Trustees take the liberty to subjoin an estimate of the amount of money which in their judgement ought to be expended during the ensuing season, the expenditure of a large part of which will be required before the hospital can be opened for the reception of patients. 

CHARLES R. FORBES
HORACE LYMAN
ELIPHALET TRASK

Northampton, December 24, 1856

ESTIMATE BY TRUSTEES

Fencing farm,	$3,000.00
3 horses,	450.00
2 pair oxen,	350.00
1 ox cart,	80.00
1 horse cart,	50.00
1 two horse wagon,	125.00
1 one horse wagon,	100.00
1 buggy wagon,	100.00
5 harnesses,	90.00
Ploughs, harrows, chains, shovels, hoes, forks, rakes, wheelbarrows, &c.,	155.00
20 cows, at $40,	800.00
Hay and grain for teams,	600.00
To pay for farm labor,	2,500.00
Horses and carriages for hospital,	1,500.00
Salary for superintendent, assistants, and help,	3,000.00
Grading grounds and making roads,	6,000.00
Gas fixtures and gas,	3,500.00
Crockery and cutlery,	3,000.00
House furnishing goods for superintendent, assistants and help,	4,000.00
Furnishing 150 rooms for patients, at $20	3,000.00
”    “ 100 “     “ 15,	1,500.00
”     “ halls,	5,000.00
500 tons coal, at $8,	4,000.00
For contingencies,	5,600.00
	$48,500.00

Trustees of the Northampton Insane Hospital in account with 
S.S. Standley.

Credit for moneys received : –
June 1,	for 5 loads gravel,	$0.30
7,	for 2 months rent of shanty,	4.00
11,	for grass,	15.00
July 7,	for pasturing,	15.75
	for grass,	20.00
	for land rent of mill,	13.00
	for pasturing,	10.50
Sept. 18,	for pasturing,	6.00
	for potatoes,	10.00
	for rent of house,	50.00
31,	for rent of shanty,	8.00
Nov. 1,	for rent of shanty,	2.00
	for pasturing,	8.25
	for potatoes and apples,	5.91
	for land rent,	5.00
	for land rent,	6.00
	for rent of shanty,	2.00
		$196.71

Bills due for land rent,	$20.00
house rent,	37.50
land rent,	13.00
apples and potatoes,	3.00
apples and potatoes,	8.75
	$82.25

Amount of Stock on hand.

120 bushels corn, at 80 cents,	$96.00
30 bushels potatoes, at 40 cents,	12.00
5 bushels beans,	10.00
2 tons straw,	12.00
10 pigs,	45.00
4 pigs,	40.00
8 tons hay, at $12,	96.00
	$311.00

Amount of Moneys paid.

Sept. 18.	To cash for 2 pigs,	$10.00
23.	To cash for 10 pigs,	30.00
Oct. 7.	To cash for 2 pigs,	14.00
11.	To cash for lumber,	11.50
11.	To cash for 3 shovels,	3.37
13.	To cash for 2 hoes,	1.50
13.	To cash for 3 baskets,	1.50
13.	To cash for 3 buckets,	.50
Nov. 10.	To cash for 1 crowbar,	1.19
10.	Use of cultivator and plough,	1.50
15.	Repair of harness,	4.00
17.	Irons for whiffletrees,	2.50
Dec 5.	Repair of ox-yoke,	1.17
5.	Sled,	38.50
	Use of ox-sled,	1.25
		$122.48

Recapitulation.

Amount of moneys received,	$196.71
Amount of bills paid,	122.48
Amount on hand,	74.23
Amount of bills due,	82.25
Amount of stock on hand,	311.00
	$467.48

S.S. STANDLEY
December 10, 1856

Citation

Forbes, C. R., Lyman, H., Trask, E., & Standley, S. S. (1857). 1856 State Lunatic Hospital at Northampton Annual Report (Annual Report No. 1). Northampton State Hospital. Retrieved from https://northamptonstatehospital.org/1857/01/01/1856-annual-report/

Northampton State Hospital Annual Reports originally scanned and published online by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Special Collection and University Archives.