![]() Thanks to the completion of Building F, the number of women patients could increase from 75 to more than 300. ![]() This structure features a two-story colonnade porch and large cupola, giving it a similar appearance to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. The next building at Warfield was the Austin Crothers Cottage (Building F). Once again designed in the Georgian style, Building E displayed a massive scale and front porch. Building E was constructed by the Baltimore firm of Parker, Thomas and Rice in 1910. Gieske of Baltimore designed this one in step with the Service Group in appearance and layout. The year 1908 saw Building D completed to the east of Building W. Owens and Sisco designed this building using classical ornament and detail freely, setting it apart from the earlier structures. It only took four years for this initial grouping to reach capacity, so in 1905, Warfield Cottage – also known as Building W – was opened. Building B was originally intended for infirmary and medical suites, and Buildings A and C were home to day halls and activity rooms on the bottom floors and dorm-style sleeping rooms on the upper floors. The heating plant for the group was housed there, too. Originally, the Service Building served as administrative and medical offices, as well as a pharmacy, dining hall and kitchen. The renowned Baltimore architect Joseph Evans Sperry designed the buildings in the Georgian Revival style and connected them with elevated, colonnaded walkways. These initial buildings, known as the Service Group, consisted of the Service Building, along with Buildings A, B and C. The Warfield Complex, made up of the Women’s Colony buildings, was built in 1899. The site was designed as a group of self-contained clusters of small buildings, which created a more humane environment for patients. While conditions in other public institutions were often abysmal at the time, the Springfield State Hospital stood apart in the integrated planning of its campus. Since the estate was well watered by springs, it also provided irrigation to farms and orchards, helping the hospital to provide much of its own food while giving patients work therapy. It also provided access to both central and western Maryland for patients and families. The site was ideal due to its close proximity to Baltimore, which boasted a number of medical and mental healthcare professionals. In 1896, the Springfield State Hospital opened its doors. Each building showcases the development of this hospital system as well as the medical culture that was shaped right along with the architecture. Located in the heart of Carroll County’s Piedmont region, the Warfield Complex stands as a monument to the modernization of public mental health care in Maryland.
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