Kuhn Memorial State Hospital is located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States. It was established in 1832 and its operation began almost immediately. Established to help control the outbreak of smallpox in the state, the hospital operated for years before it faced difficulties leading to its desertion and abandonment.

Early life of the hospital

The main reason for the establishment of Kuhn State Hospital was to curb smallpox outbreak in the state of Mississippi. Built-in a rush, a large house in the suburban estate was what the state decided to go within 1847 to serve as Kuhn state hospital. It operated for 4 years until 1989 when it began experiencing both financial and management challenges. Dr. George K. Birchett was the one running the Kuhn hospital at the time, it was later run by his son after his death and grandsons after the death of the son. Kuhn State Hospital had the largest number of doctors and Catholic sisters of Mercy who worked diligently to keep the hospital running. A resident in Vicksburg, Lee Kuhn, died in 1954 and left his estate to the hospital worth 400,000 US dollars. In 1959 using the donated finances by Mr. Lee, a new building was established and the hospital relocated to the ground where Charity hospital used to stand. It was named Kuhn Memorial State Hospital in honor of Mr. Lee Kuhn. The old building of Charity hospital was replaced with a new building in 1962

The end of an era

Kuhn State Hospital was taken over by the state in 1871 and renamed Charity Hospital of Vicksburg. In 1878, there was a yellow fever outbreak that killed 16 doctors and six Catholic sisters. The hospital was also impacted by the civil war at the same time. Kuhn Memorial State Hospital's final operational year was 1989, with the hospital closing later that year. It was closed after several well-known politicians fought to have its funding cut. Just like that, the hospital's operations came to a halt.

Current situation

Following the hospital's closure, the building, which was still relatively new, was left to deteriorate. Vandalism has become the norm for the building, rendering it inoperable. Aside from vandalism, the vacant building became a popular location for illegal activities such as drug dealing and murders. A body was discovered in the building in 2014, prompting the local senate to propose demolition. Four years of court cases between those who wanted the building put down and historians who wanted it restored came to an end and the building was demolished in 2019. Concrete ruins are what remains of the once life-serving facility in Vicksburg. You can still visit the town to just check on the site where Kuhn Memorial State Hospital once stood.