{"nrhp_refnum":"80003401","name":"Reed Hall","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Emsworth on Huntington Rd., Kilbuck Township","address_restricted":false,"city":"Emsworth","county":"Allegheny County","state":"PA","lat":40.515455553000066,"lon":-80.11154148192448,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-11-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Reed Hall is the original main building of Dixmont State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital on the north bank of the Ohio River about 7 miles west of Pittsburgh in Emsworth, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Construction of the building began in 1859 to designs by Joseph W. Kerr, a Pittsburgh architect.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that the building is significant as the first structure of a hospital for the insane in Western Pennsylvania, prompted by the advocacy of Dorothea Dix. It also links the hospital's site and early practices of freedom from restraints and humane occupational treatment to Dix's influence and to Dr. Joseph Reed, the first superintendent. The document states that Dixmont was among the first institutions in the nation to abolish restraints as a treatment method.","narrative":"Reed Hall, built beginning in 1859 to designs by Pittsburgh architect Joseph W. Kerr, is the original building of Dixmont State Hospital, overlooking the Ohio River about seven miles west of Pittsburgh. The four-story central core and square end pavilions are linked by three-story wings, with brick walls on stone foundations, rounded-arched window sets, and a projecting loggia over the main entrance. The cornerstone was laid on July 19, 1859. The hospital was founded in response to the campaign of reformer Dorothea Dix, who selected the rural site for its calming effect on patients. Dr. Joseph Reed, the first superintendent, followed her model of occupation, recreation and freedom from restraints. In 1860 the Board of Managers named the facility Dixmont Hospital for the Insane in her honor. The building is significant as the first and central structure of that institution.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Joseph W. Kerr (architect)","architectural_style":"Romanesque","criteria":[],"status_note":"Altered: a square tower was partly removed at a later date, wooden hoods were added to window openings, and renovations occurred in 1949 and 1967; the interior and exterior are described as retaining architectural integrity.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.58237-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/80003401.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003401/41cc252b8f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003401/41cc252b8f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"https://www.flickr.com/photos/crcollins/","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dixmont_State_Hospital.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.flickr.com/photos/crcollins/</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dixmont_State_Hospital.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995469","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixmont_State_Hospital","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5284930"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/allegheny-county/reed-hall-80003401/"}