Sheppard Pratt Asylum (Towson, MD) / Calvert Vaux, bulk 1858-1861
Collection context
- Creator:
- Vaux, Calvert, 1824-1895 and Sheppard Asylum
- Extent:
- 17 drawings
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
The Sheppard Pratt Asylum was founded in 1853 for the progressive treatment of the mentally ill by the Baltimore merchant Moses Sheppard. The New York architect Calvert Vaux was hired in 1858 to design the buildings for the institution at the same time Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted won the competition for the design of Central Park. Construction on the Asylum began in 1862, during the Civil War, and because of lack of financial constraints, the Asylum opened in 1891. The Sheppard Pratt Asylum is now on the National Historic Register. The 17 drawings for the project include floor plans, elevations, sections, and detail drawings.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Calvert Vaux (1824-1895) was a British-American architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer (with Frederick Law Olmsted), of New York's Central Park.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers are encouraged to request materials at least one month in advance. You will receive an email from the department within 2-3 business days confirming your request and currently available appointment times. Requests are limited to 8 boxes per day (or equivalent), with a maximum of 5 boxes for off-site materials, 5 folders of drawings, or 5 rolls or tube boxes.
- Contact:
- avery-drawings@columbia.edu