CONTACT: Deborah Hakes, dhakes@georgialibraries.org, 404-852-5547
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga — Over 100 digitized pages of a Milledgeville State Hospital Alumna Association Record Book have been added to the Digital Library of Georgia at https://dlg.usg.edu/record/gv0_csh_alreg through a partnership between the Twin Lakes Regional Library System and Georgia HomePLACE. Spanning 1910-1957, the journal records the graduating classes of the Milledgeville State Hospital Nursing School over the course of its 37-year existence and is a valuable source of information about the mental health students trained by the program.
The Nursing School of the controversial Milledgeville State Hospital, which was also variously known as the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum; the Georgia State Sanitarium; and the Central State Hospital; began as a two-year training program, graduating 286 certified nurses. Following the closure of the Nursing School in 1947, the hospital became the site of a three-month psychiatric nursing rotation for students both in and out of state. At the time of operation, Milledgeville State Hospital was the only mental health facility in the state and drew nurses and patients from across Georgia, though allegations of neglect and mistreatment, as well as a national trend toward deinstitutionalization of patients, eventually led to the hospital’s closure in 2010.
“Twin Lakes Library is committed to preserving and sharing elements of our community’s history, especially ones that offer new insights into the complicated story of Central State Hospital,” says Twin Lakes Library System Director Stephen Houser. “We hope that community members, scholars, and researchers will find great benefit from this fascinating record.”
Sept. 8 discussion to explore history of Nursing at Central State Hospital
Little research has been completed about psychiatric nursing students during this time. To shed further light on the program’s history, the Mary Vinson Memorial Library will host a panel discussion titled “Nursing at Central State,” on Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. in the Local History Room.
The panel, which will include two retired Central State Hospital nurses and Gail Godwin, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Georgia College and co-author of an oral history study on psychiatric clinical experiences, will discuss the history of nursing and how Central State Hospital changed the medical field in Georgia.
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Georgia HomePLACE encourages public libraries and related institutions to participate in the Digital Library of Georgia. HomePLACE offers a highly collaborative model for digitizing primary source collections related to local history and genealogy. HomePLACE is supported with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia is a GALILEO initiative that collaborates with Georgia’s libraries, archives, museums and other institutions of education and culture to provide digital access to key information resources on Georgia history, culture and life. DLG also serves as Georgia’s service hub for the Digital Public Library of America and as the home of the Georgia Newspaper Project, the state’s historic newspaper microfilming project.
Adopted at central state, want to find biological mom
Hello Ed:
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
You may need to contact Constituent Services at the Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disabilities:
https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/how-do-i-contact-constituent-services
It may be that you need to request a court order to access the records on any relatives you might have.
My name is Ed Morris I was there in spring 1977 , a man died in my arms. This is part of me that needs attention. Is there any way for me to get some information about him?
Thank you
Ed Morris
Hi Jennifer,
My name is Ally and me and my friend have been traveling a lot in Georgia at haunted attractions, and my friend realized that her grandmother was placed there. I would love to ask you a little bit about this, my phone number is +18646439955 if you would be interested, or if you even see it.
Hi, Jennifer.
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
You may need to contact Constituent Services at the Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disabilities:
https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/how-do-i-contact-constituent-services
It may be that you need to request a court order to access the records on any relatives you might have.
Best of luck in getting the information that you need.
This is the hospital my mother placed me when I was a child. I have had nightmares my entire life and realized they were real. How do I obtain my medical records? Do I need a court order as I was there for a year.
Hi Megan:
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
You may need to contact Constituent Services at the Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disabilities:
https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/how-do-i-contact-constituent-services
It may be that you need to request a court order to access the records on any relatives you might have.
How do you go about getting a court order for a past patient? My grandfather was a patient. Interested in getting info. Anyone been successful in that?
Serena,
I have actually requested and received information on a great great aunt. I did have to obtain a court order, but it wasn’t a problem. This was over 10 years ago. I also had information that was passed to me from other relatives regarding my great great great grandmother who died at Central State and is buried on the grounds…so it is not impossible to get documentation. I was disappointed at the detail, as it wasn’t much for either. I am not sure how they are doing things now.
Hi, Serena:
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do on our end to provide you with Central State Hospital’s records.
You will need to make arrangements with them directly.
Their mailing address is here:
Mailing Address
Central State Hospital
Payton B. Cook Building
2450 Vinson Highway
Milledgeville, GA 31062
Their phone number is 478-445-4128
They have an FAQ on requesting genealogical information here:
https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/genealogy-information-faqs#field_related_links-119-1
It may be that you need to request a court order to access the records on your grandmother. The information on how to do that is available on the FAQ web page.
Best of luck in getting the information that you need.
I have tried several times through my calls there to find out information on my grandmother, Maudie (Clack) Anglin , who was a patient there from the late 1920s to 1956. She even worked some later there as a helper for patients. I have no response to my request. I think it’s a shame that no one would call me back with any information. I know she was a patient there, she was my fathers Mother. I was 6 years old when my father got her out. I would greatly appreciate a response. Thank you. Serena Anglin Lane. My phone no is 912-656-5841.