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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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The first American hospital devoted exclusively to treating the mentally ill. The Public Hospital of Williamsburg (also known as Eastern State Hospital or Eastern Lunatic Asylum) was first proposed to the Virginia House of Burgesses by Francis Fauquier in 1766 and admitted its first patient on October 12th, 1773. Changes in how the British public perceived mental illness and political and economic goals within the colony drove Virginia leaders to establish this institution.
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Related Events
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Museum Discoveries: The Public Hospital of 1773
Visit the Public Hospital of 1773 for a discussion about 18th-century mental health and the history of the reconstructed mental hospital.
Art Museums Admission
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Tour: Follow a Young Archaeologist
Follow a young Public Archaeology Institute (PAI) participant on a walking tour of Custis Square and the Public Hospital site.
CW Admission
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Family Workshop: Apothecary
Have what it takes to be an Apothecary Apprentice? Participants will compound a medicine, identify medicinal ingredients, learn their uses, and practice applying bandages.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket