U.S. National Institutes of Health

Design proposal of the Sheppard Asylum near Baltimore, MD by Calvert Vaux, 1860

Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Calvert Vaux, architect and landscape designer, drew this initial proposal for the Sheppard Asylum with large bay windows for fresh air and sunlight. This “Kirkbride” plan was a popular design in the mid–19th century. The design aimed to cure people of their mental ailments through sunlight, privacy, and tranquility in a rural setting.

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