HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2004-014 Resolution on the Future of the Dix Hospital Campussd
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMIVIISSIONERS
A RESOLUTIONREGARDING
THE FUTURE OF THE DIX HOSPITAL CAMPUS
WHEREAS, Dorothea Lynde Dix was a social reformer, journalist, and skilled lobbyist who as a young woman
wrote, "In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for
me to do", and who during the middle 1800s woke America's conscience to the plight of the mentally ill; and
WHEREAS, in the autumn of 1848 Dorothea Lynde Dix came to North Carolina and toured 36 counties to
conduct a census of the mentally ill in jails, poorhouses, and private homes; and
WHEREAS, in a "memorial" submitted to the North Carolina legislature, she emphasized the need to remove the
insane from jails and recommended modem approaches to the treatment of the mentally ill along with specifics of
needed buildings .and equipment; and
WHEREAS, through the persistent effort of Dorothea Lynde Dix and the personal appeal of James C. Dobbin, an
influential legislator from Fayetteville, the legislature was persuaded to adopt in December of 1848 an act that
provided for an appropriation and the appointment of six commissioners to select a site and oversee the erection
of a hospital that would eventually be named in Dix's honor; and
WHEREAS, on February 22, 1856, the first person was admitted, suffering from "suicidal mania" and in the first
nine months was joined by 51 males and 39 females; and
WHEREAS, over the intervening century and a half, thousands of North Carolinians and their families have been
served by Dorothea Dix Hospital; and
WHEREAS, today the Dorothea Dix Hospital is situated on a beautifu1425 acre tract of land, accentuated by oak
and pecan trees, on the south side of Raleigh with a commanding view of the city skyline, making it the largest
tract of undeveloped land near downtown Raleigh with an estimated worth in the millions; and
WHEREAS, the disposition of this historic property -perhaps the only tangible collective asset of persons with
mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities in North Carolina - is the current subject of much
debate and discussion as the State moves to close the facility in 2007; and
WHEREAS, a special commission has been established to make recommendations to the legislature, drawing
upon views and opinions from individuals and organizations as diverse as mental health advocates and
professionals, neighborhood activists, government administrators, park designers, and state historians;
NOW THEREFORE THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS calls upon the Dix property
special commission to be as visionary as Dorothea Lynde Dix and consider supporting an approach that honors
the past and inspires the future by reserving an appreciable amount of acreage on the Dix campus for public open
space, with the remaining portion of the property to be leased or sold for complementary urban development, with
all monies received dedicated to and reinvested in innovative programs and projects that benefit the mentally ill
throughout North Carolina.
Adopted this the 16~' day of March, 2004.
Barry Jacobs; Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners