The Rudy J. Favretti 2011 Fellowship
OLD WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL, Staunton, VA
Opened in 1828, the Western Lunatic Asylum provided cutting-edge treatment for mentally ill patients. Possibly one of the earliest healing landscapes in the country, the tranquil and pastoral setting was an important part of the "moral therapy." The stately grounds of the 80-acre campus were so picturesque that a wrought-iron fence was erected- not to keep patients in, but to keep picnickers out. Patients tended the hospital grounds and hundreds of acres of surrounding farmland, growing much of their own food. Thomas Blackburn, who worked under Thomas Jefferson during the construction of the University of Virginia, designed many of the buildings on site in a distinct Jeffersonian style. In 1969, the five surviving antebellum buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the early 1970s, the asylum (by then renamed Western State Hospital) relocated, and the campus became home to the Staunton Correctional Center, a medium-security prison. During this time, which lasted until 2003, many of the buildings fell into disrepair. The property sat vacant until just recently when its new owners began restoring the buildings. Now called the "Villages at Staunton" with a new program in place, information on the historic landscape will be pertinent to ongoing planning for the future of this picturesque property.
Qualifications:
Fellows are expected to produce measured drawings and a written report to contribute to an archive of historic landscapes of Virginia. Applicants must be candidates for a MLA degree in landscape architecture or candidates for an equivalent academic program such as landscape or architectural history, archaeology, historic preservation, or horticulture.
Stipend:
Each Fellow will be paid a stipend of $6,000 plus certain living expenses for a three-month period
of work.
