Craig Colony for Epileptics

Craig Colony for Epileptics was a residential facility for epileptics in Sonyea, Livingston County, New York, US.

Craig Colony
Panorama
Superintendent, Dr. William P. Spratling

History edit

Situated at a former Shaker colony,[1] the facility was established in 1896 on 1,900 acres (770 ha).[2] Its inspiration was the colony at Bielefeld, Westphalia, Germany.[3][4] Craig Colony was situated 70 miles (110 km) southeast of Buffalo and 40 miles (64 km) south of Rochester. The facility was maintained by New York State appropriations. To be admitted to the Colony, the patient had to be a legal resident of New York State, and been declared epileptic by a physician. The Colony School, under the auspices of the Geneseo State Normal School, convened in 1921. The Peterson Hospital was on the premises, as were a farm, garden, and dairy.[5] Before the facility opened, it was known as Sonyea Colony but the name was changed to Craig Colony after Oscar Craig who was serving as president of the State Board of Charities. Its name continued to change over the years: Craig Colony for Epileptics (1896), Craig Colony (1920), Craig Colony and Hospital (1951), Craig Colony School and Hospital (1966), Craig State School (1968), and Craig Developmental Center (1969).[6][4] Even though there were approximately 2,000 patients at the colony in 1967, it closed its doors the following year.[7] George Metzger of Buffalo was the architect in 1896.

See also edit

References edit

  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Managers and Officers of the Craig Colony's Annual Report (1922)

  1. ^ Trompeter, Grace (2012). "New York's Craig Colony for Epileptics tracing the deepest roots of deinstitutionalization" (PDF). Middle States Geographer. 45: 76–83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  2. ^ Palmer & Graham 1897, p. 306.
  3. ^ Taylor 1897, p. 45.
  4. ^ a b New York (State). Dept. of Social Services 1919, p. 159.
  5. ^ Managers and Officers of the Craig Colony 1922, pp. 1–68.
  6. ^ Szasz 1998, p. 48.
  7. ^ Trompeter (2012), p.77

Bibliography edit

External links edit