first light

Schizophrenia was a great scourge and therapeutic nihilism was pervasive in the 19th century, That is, there was little you could do about it, so don’t bother trying. The Moral Treatment was a popular approach and afforded patients some dignity. Big farms were associated with state mental hospitals to provide both food and occupation for residents who may live there for decades.
In semi-retirement, this barn is adjacent to the Western State Psychiatric Hospital at Staunton, Virginia. The only bounty from its rolling acres is hay. Patients are no longer allowed to work as cheap labor. The barn stands in quiet repose. - James