RESOURCES
BOOKS
NORTHERN STATE HOSPITAL GUIDEBOOK
A. MUIA
This slim but meaty 30-page full-color booklet by Northern State Hospital researcher A. Muia brings the history of Northern State alive through vintage photographs, quotes, patient voices, research drawn from original documents, and narrative about the history and use of each major building on campus. Use it as a self-guided tour when you're walking Hub Drive and wondering what each building was used for, or take an armchair tour by reading it at home. Includes a historical timeline, campus map, and resources for further reading.
$12.00 (shipping included) via Venmo, cash, or check. Email us at northernstatehospital at gmail for ordering details. Or find at the Sedro-Woolley Museum or the Skagit County Historical Museum.
UNDER THE RED ROOF
M.J. McGOFFIN
Under the Red Roof chronicles the rise and fall of an insane asylum in the frontier town of Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Northern State Hospital, as it came to be known, encompassed 1086 acres of sweeping mountain views, wild creeks and rich farmland, in a master designed landscape by John Charles Olmsted. A strong community existed among patients, doctors’ families, employees and townsfolk. The author gathered interviews from the switchboard operator, nurses, doctors, attendants, and families who had first-hand experience of the place. They described a unique inter-dependency between patients and staff whereby meaningful work contributed to a patient’s sense of belonging. In this 2020 updated version, the author includes new information and maps about the future plans for the site, made possible through a public/private collaboration, one that honors the hospital’s history, the Olmsted landscape legacy, and the public’s access to the land.
Softcover, 126 pages. Purchase at the Sedro-Woolley Museum, the Skagit County Historical Museum, or on Amazon.
AN ERA OF CHANGE: MEMORIES OF NORTHERN STATE HOSPITAL
ARDELLA HARRIS DOUGLAS
Step behind the walls of Northern State Hospital in this captivating memoir by Ardella Harris Douglas, who recounts her memories of psychiatric nursing during changing times for the hospital, the field of psychiatry, and her own life. With love and honesty, Douglas recalls the joys and challenges of working with psychiatric patients, and her growing confidence in a profession that sought to give dignity and care to the most vulnerable.
Ardella Harris Douglas was born in Sedro-Woolley in 1935. In 1957 she began working at Northern State Hospital as an attendant on the ward for violent women. She later earned her LPN degree and served at Northern State until its tragic closing in 1973. She continued her career at Western State and Eastern State, retiring from psychiatric nursing in 1991. She currently lives in Mount Vernon, WA.
Softcover, 78 pages. Purchase at the Sedro-Woolley Museum or the Skagit County Historical Museum.
AMID FIELDS OF ALYSSUM: A YEAR AT NORTHERN STATE
DICK FALLIS
Originally written in 1984 and reprinted in 2022, this book by Dick Fallis offers an introduction with historic photographs and snippets about Northern State history—including what happened to the hospital campus after it closed. The greater share of the book contains selected reprints from the Northern State Hospital News, offering a snapshot into the weekly goings-on with patients and staff in the year 1936. The book also contains the "Memoirs of Eric," a rare opportunity to read the memories of a patient who was part of the original 1910 land-clearing crew when Northern State was just beginning.
Softcover, 169 pages. Purchase at the Sedro-Woolley Museum or the Skagit County Historical Museum.
MORE TO READ
Seattle Times 2023
Seattle Times 2023
AUDIO FILES
HEAR THE GENERAL HISTORY OF NSH AT
2024 PUBLIC HISTORY DAYS with A.MUIA
FINDING LILLIAN: THE LOST PATIENTS OF WA'S ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITALS
Seattle Times Documentary 2023
He uncovered 200 headstones. She was searching for remnants about forgotten family history. This documentary follows John Horne as he seeks to document and restore the old Northern State Hospital cemetery, and Carrie Davidson's quest to find her great-grandmother Lillian, who died at Northern State.
PLACES
725 Murdock Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 | 360-855-2390
The Sedro-Woolley Museum has a dedicated, permanent exhibit on Northern State Hospital. Read the history, see the artifacts, visit a replica of a treatment room, and view the running slide show of vintage photographs. Visitors can also make an appointment to peruse documents in the archives, including volumes of the Northern State Hospital News. And don't miss the gift shop, where you can find local gifts and apparel, plus books on Northern State Hospital and Skagit County history. Museum open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.
501 South 4th Street, La Conner, WA 98257 | 360-466-3365
From the top of the hill in La Conner, enjoy views of Skagit Valley before heading into the extensive exhibits on Skagit County history. Learn of the early years of Skagit, the settlers, loggers, and native peoples, the farms and towns, and find what's new at the special exhibits room that's ever changing. An excellent gift shop offers many titles on Skagit history and Northern State Hospital, plus local gifts. Museum open Thursday – Sunday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
25625 Helmick Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 | (360) 416-1350
The old Northern State Hospital farm is now a Skagit County park, open during daylight hours. Walk the trails, see the old barns and farm buildings, rest a moment near Hansen Creek, and play some frisbee golf. Open during daylight hours.
Fruitdale Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 | (360) 757-0011
The campus of Northern State Hospital is under the direction of the Port of Skagit. Walk the historic route along Hub Drive, viewing the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and re-living a bit of history. Open during daylight hours. Download the Port of Skagit visitor's guide HERE, or a printable campus map HERE.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Need more Northern State? Wonder what it was like to live and work there? Want the inside scoop? Follow us on Instagram for the wonderful, odd, and sobering, along with quotes, photos, videos, and event announcements.
With more than 2,000 members and growing, the Friends of Northern State Hospital Facebook group is a great place to explore history, view photographs, get notified of events, and hear stories from individuals who worked at Northern State.
A Facebook page dedicated to preservation efforts at Northern State Hospital Cemetery, including opportunities for volunteers.