Ep. 98: History of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Part 1 (1858-1893)

Ep. 98: History of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Part 1 (1858-1893)

From Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals by Dr. Sarah Gallup

December 9, 2025 · 37 min · Episode 98

About this episode

This episode begins a series on the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, exploring its construction, historical significance, and early management challenges.

Send us Fan Mail This week we start a series on Sarah's "holy grail" asylum! Learn about why it took 23 years for the asylum to be built and who was involved in the labor. Find out how the hospital took on an additional role in the history of the American Civil War. And discover why there was such a high turnover of superintendents in the early days of asylum life. Follow the show on Instagram at @behindthewallspod Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support ...

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Sarah Gallup

Topics covered

  • history
  • psychiatric hospitals
  • American Civil War
  • asylum life
  • superintendents turnover

Keywords

  • Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
  • history
  • American Civil War
  • psychiatric hospitals
  • superintendents

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

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