Tennessee Lunatic Asylum Collection
Scope and Contents
Collection of Biennial Reports and miscellaneous publications assocated with the Teennessee Lunatic Asylum.
Dates
- Creation: 1837-1916
Conditions Governing Access
All collections are subject to applicable Vanderbilt University privacy and confidentiality policies. Collection specific restrictions: No Restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
These materials are all in the public domain.
Biographical / Historical
The Tennessee Lunatic Asylum was established by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly in 1837 and began to receive patients in 1840. The first facility was located at the corner of the present Twelfth Avenue South and Division Street in downtown Nashville. This facility proved to be deficient and following the pleas of noted asylum and prison reform advocate Dorothea Dix and staff of the asylum, the legislature approved the construction of a second facility located southeast of Nashville on Murfreesboro Pike. This facility opened in 1851 and remained -- through various name changes -- its home until its closure in 1995.
Full Extent
0.37 Cubic Feet (One Hollinger box.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection of published reports regarding the Tennessee Lunatic Asylum located in Nashville, TN. These reports were researched and prepared for members of the Tennessee Legislature to inform them of conditions, activities, needs and treatment of patients residing there. Most reports were submitted by staff and officers of the asylum including the superintendent, treasurer, and physician, and contain statistical summary of the demographics of patient population, the reason for admittance and discharge as well as a description of the forms of treatment and expenditures made to care for patients. There are also two publications by an author named Green Grimes who was a patent at the asylum, and a photographic reproduction of an image of the Tennessee Hospital for the Insane.
Physical Location
History of Medicine Room
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown, but given the subject of the publications being medically related, the collection of materials were likely transferred to the collection from George Peabody College Library (Education Library) shortly after the merger with Vanderbilt University in 1979.
Processing Information
Individual items appear to have been previously bound in a volume. Several of the titles were individually cataloged and shelved in the History of Medicine Collection, but given their fragile condition were collected and placed in a box which was described as a collection in 2025.
- Title
- Tennessee Lunatic Asylum Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- History of Medicine Collections Staff
- Date
- 2025-06-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the History of Medicine Manuscripts Collection Repository
Eskind Biomedical Library
2209 Garland Ave.
Nashville TN 37232
historyofmedicine@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.