Currently, the Dorothea Dix area has yet to be established as a neighborhood, however the land will be developed in some manner upon the closing of the Dorothea Dix hospital in late 2007 or early 2008. Exactly how, and particularly, where the development will be established has yet to be determined, as the issue is presently under debate.

History of the Dorothea Dix Area

Upon the passing of a North Carolina Legislature resolution requesting information to plan for the establishment of a "lunatic asylum", Dorothea Lynde Dix came to North Carolina in 1848 to tour the state and conduct a census of the mentally ill. Dorothea’s proposals were initially received with little interest by the economy-minded legislature but her “memorial” report was a convincing and emotional appeal. The bill passed and Dorothea offered to stay on to help establish the new hospital. In 1851, the first commissioners of the "Insane Hospital of North Carolina" reported to the legislature: "They selected a site for the said building and, after carefully examining the whole country in the vicinity of Raleigh, they chose a location west of the city and about one mile distant, on a hill near Rocky Branch to provide a water supply. This location has a commanding view of the city and is believed to be perfectly healthy." At the time, experts believed it was best to isolate patients from society in order to cure their condition.

On February 22, 1856, the first patient was admitted, and by the time of the Civil War there were 193 patients. In 1865, the Union Army occupied Raleigh and camped all over the city and on the asylum grounds. The first graduate nurse joined the staff in 1898 to teach student nurses and aides. The Dorothea Dix School of Nursing opened in 1902 and continued until the forties, when the student nurses began traveling to Morisania Hospital in New York City for their second year of education. The number of student nurses decreased so much that by the third year the nursing education program was discontinued with the last class graduating in 1949.

By the 1930's there were over 2,000 patients to serve, which led to the erection of additional buildings. In 1953, to accommodate over 4,000 patients, the construction of three new buildings and the demolition and rebuilding of the main portion of the hospital occurred. The two original wings remain today. The name of the State Hospital at Raleigh was changed in 1959, to the Dorothea Dix Hospital. The 1970’s saw the development of many community mental health centers, which dropped patient numbers considerably. In 1974 the hospital was situated on 2,354 acres of land, including three lakes and 1,300 acres for the farming of hospital food. There were 282 hospital buildings equipped to handle 2,756 patients.

The Dorothea Dix Area Today

Today, most of the original Dix property has been conventionally developed, with eighty-five percent of the original land transferred to Centennial Campus and the Farmer’s Market. Dorothea Dix Hospital is now situated on a serene 425 acres, in the southern region of the City of Raleigh. There are more than 120 separate buildings on the site, a number of which are administrative offices for the Department of Human Resources and for the NC Farmer's Market. The hospital currently accommodates around 375 patients, with over 3,000 plus patients yearly, and a staff of 1,300.

Currently there is much controversy over the use of the land, namely where the development occurs and how it affects its neighbors, once the hospital closes in late 2007-early 2008. Friends of Dorothea Dix Park hope to see the development concentrated along the perimeter of the park. This benefits the existing residential and commercial neighborhoods adjacent to the park and distributes the development opportunities to multiple land owners and developers. The Friends plan would have the park to flow through the Farmers' Market, and then merge into Centennial Campus, Lake Raleigh and the new Walnut Creek Park adding more green space. The sum of the 306 acre Dix Park, the University, and the City Park will, in effect, extend the Dix property so that it can become a “Central Park”, for residents and visitors to enjoy, and for a means of economic expansion for the region and the state.

In contrast, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) plan concentrates all development to a few developers on the state owned property, and separates the park from Lake Wheeler Road. The ULI plan offers new construction on state owned land, allowing for a 250 acre development for 9,000 residents and 20,000 employees, adjacent to a smaller park of 200 acres.

The historic value of the land includes Native American remnants, one of the first land grants, a site for the assembly of the army during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and one of the first public health issues that went to the State Supreme Court.

Photos of Dorothea Dix

Share your pictures of Dorothea Dix: Email them to photos@downtownraleighnc.org