Catherine Cannon

        In 1856, the address delivered at the laying of the cornerstone of what would eventually be called Northampton State Hospital expressed the hospital's high hopes and enthusiasm for the treatment and recovery of the mentally ill. Over one century, thousands of patients, and numerous expansions of the campus later, NSH has grown to about 538 acres of land and approximately 970,000 square feet of building space. In late August of 1993, after the hospital's last eleven patients had been moved as a result of the combination of deinstitutionalization and privatization, NSH was officially closed. The resulting question basically boiled down to, "Now what?" Northampton had lost one of its largest employers as well as millions of dollars in buildings that were quickly deteriorating as the weeds and weather overtook them. Now, as the community attempts to transform the NSH property, it must pay close attention to job generation, economic revitalization, preservation of open space, and the creation of new economic opportunities in the Northampton area. However, at the same time, the state of Massachusetts must not forget to honor the minority who made NSH possible, the patients.
        The most important redevelopment that should be accomplished on the NSH property is a memorial to celebrate the lives of those mentally ill who spent a piece of their life at the hospital and to recognize all mentally ill people and their everyday struggle with life. As Pat Deegan said at the Department of Mental Health conference in October, like women, African-Americans, and gays and lesbians woke up one morning and decided that they were sick of straight, white males writing their history, it is now the mentally ill's turn to take a stand. In my mind when I picture a memorial for the mentally ill on NSH property, I envision the front of the Old Main building on Hospital Hill. There is no other building as grand as the Old Main building and in fact, in the "Requests for Proposals" issued by the Division of Capital Planning and Operations, it is described as the "oldest and most architecturally distinct brick building" (12) on NSH property. The city of Northampton should renovate it as well as the gardens that used to surround it thus making Parcel A the site for the memorial for the mentally ill. Afterall, Parcel A is the "original administration, patient ward and support facilities for the hospital" (12) and it makes perfect sense for its next purpose to be to honor the mentally ill while at the same time preserving historic buildings and landscapes.
        After establishing a site for the memorial, the other possible uses for the NSH land must be considered. The next logical question is "Where should the housing go?" In my mind it makes more sense for the businesses to surround the memorial rather than the housing. This way, twenty years down the road the downtown of Northampton will have extended itself to Hospital Hill and thrived around the site of the mentally ill memorial. Northampton will become associated with the mentally ill and deinstitutionalization just as Salem is with the witches and Provincetown is with gays and lesbians. This leaves the Memorial Complex, Parcel B, for the low, affordable, and market rate housing. Because the Memorial Complex already has five vacant single family homes that are available for re-use, the rest of the housing can just be added around them. This brings us to Parcel E, the Ice Pond Parcel. These thirty-nine acres of land should be left as they are because of the wetland areas located on the northern and eastern edges of the site. The loss of wetlands is contributing to the global Greenhouse Effect as a consequence of the lack of balance among our ecosystems. Therefore, the town of Northampton should jump at the chance to make a difference that could inevitably affect the world as well as future generations.
        The next Parcel of NSH land that we must consider is Parcel H which should be used to advance Northampton's economic growth along with Parcel K1 and the rest of Parcel A. Here, it is important to locate a diverse group of businesses that will not only offer Northampton residents job opportunities, but will also attract new people to our Happy Valley. However, it is crucial that the "uptown" does not lose the funky, offbeat feeling that is created by Northampton's "downtown". Also, if businesses were established on the Main Campus, the possibility of the Department of Mental Health not needing to relocate would become much more realistic. If it was up to me, the Department of Mental Health would get first say as to what they think should happen with the hospital grounds since they are the only established business on NHS grounds right now. Another untouched piece of land, Parcel I, should be left as it is because it allows for public access to the recreational paths along the river. Along with saving Parcel I, a bridge should be built so that the people in the community have a greater accessible area in which they can walk their dogs, go for a jog, or just surround themselves with the tranquility that is given off there. A bridge would also connect Parcel I to the rest of NSH property. Any remaining NSH property that is for sale should stay as it is, including the long-standing Beech trees that are scattered throughout the hospital grounds.
        In redeveloping the NSH property, the most important aspect is to find a balance between the land's old purpose and the land's new purpose, whatever that may be. If the memorial for the mentally ill could capture the hospital's original intent and enthusiasm for healing those "wildest in intellect" while the rest of the hospital's redevelopment created housing as well as job opportunities, I believe that the new purpose for the NSH land would be achieved. It is up to us to find that perfect balance.