Place

Washington State Hospital Grounds

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Pencil plan of lots of buildings in the same shape on trees in front and behind
Washington State Hospital Grounds, Job #03678, Sedro-Woolley, WA

Olmsted Archives

Quick Facts
Location:
Sedro-Woolly, WA
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Landscape
As with many Pacific Northwest designs, John Charles Olmsted led Olmsted Brothers’ team at the Washington State Hospital, also known as the Northern State Hospital, landscaping 1,086-acres which integrated mental health facilities within farmland. Not only did John Charles’ plan include core hospital buildings, but also had a dairy, piggery, poultry, and orchards, which patients were encouraged to learn to operate.

Work began in the Summer of 1910, with John Charles’ earlier work at a nearby Veterans home won over the Hospital’s board. Representing Washington state’s earliest and largest institutional planning effort, Northern State Hospital is a remarkable example of merging healthcare and agriculture. Assisting John Charles for nearly ten years was James Frederick Dawson, who managed the site’s planting plan.

Source: "Northern State Hospital," The Cultural Landscape Foundation

For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr 
Olmsted Online

Last updated: June 20, 2024