Dixmont Asylum Interior Battle Map: A History Lesson
- dreadmaps
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
The older I get the more I start to realize how much we need to take care of our mental health. This has seeped into my map-making because my latest TTRPG maps are about Dixmont, a mental hospital that used to exist in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA USA.
While crafting the interior of this Kirkbride-styled building for VTT use, I found myself researching and enjoying learning about its history, as I attempted to understand its engineering and design.
Ground Plan of Dixmont
Fun Facts about Kirkbride Asylums
Dixmont was built during the Civic War in 1862 and closed in 1984
They were self-sufficient with their own water treatment, power, sewage
The campus spanned 400+ acres
One contributing factor to the downfall of Kirkbride facilities was patient overcrowding as a result of WWI and WWII
Kirkbride's vision fell out of favor as the buildings became underfunded and overcrowded. As a result, real abuse and mistreatment of patients occurred: Imprisonment, shock therapy, and lobotomies to name a few.
Dixmont land was sold to Walmart in 2006. The abandoned 144-year-old structures were demolished.
In a weird turn of events, the whole hillside collapsed, preventing further construction.
Two famous movies that feature mental hospitals:
Shutter Island (2010)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Dixmont Asylum Battle Map
I've designed both the exterior and surrounding areas based on old satellite footage as well as the first floor of the interior. Check it out:
Mini-documentary of Dixmont Hospital
Very moving documentary following a former Dixmont worker as she walks the abandoned ruins before its demolition.
A very thorough 45-minute episode and article detailing Kirkbride buildings & history: 99% Invisible: Episode 373
