About

Founded in 1868 (with its first patient arriving in 1872) as the State Hospital for the Insane at Danville, this state hospital remains in operation. It was originally constructed under the Kirkbride Plan. Its campus and population grew rapidly, peaking in the 1950s at about 2800. Since then, efforts to reduce its population and emphasize community placement has left the population below 200. In 1955, then superintendent Robert Gatski published on his use of a new drug, chlorpromazine, in treating “emotionally maladjusted children” at Danville.

The cemetery at Danville is well maintained today. Records indicate that eighty-four people were buried at Danville, but the majority of them do not have individual grave markers–there are about 41 markers in the restored and maintained cemetery. Some of those buried in the cemetery in the late nineteenth century were veterans who had fought in the Civil War and in federal warfare against Native Americans.  A restoration project undertaken in 1986-1987 produced a plaque that lists the names of 81 of the people buried at Danville.

This cemetery is located on the grounds of an active state hospital and is not accessible to the public. Visitors can access the cemetery by contacting the hospital administration.