Administration Building

After its construction in 1903, the Administration Building housed Saint Elizabeths records and archives.

The Administration Building, constructed in 1903, was the centerpiece of the hospital’s largest building campaign and expansion, which included fourteen new buildings. Plans for the Administration Building had been in the works for quite some time, but issues with funding had been plaguing Saint Elizabeths under White's supervision, resulting in numerous obstacles getting in the way of the building's construction. When it was finally finished, it proved to be a significant addition to the campus.

The Administration Building housed a record room that provided the hospital staff with space for a much needed and consolidated filing system. This helped in keeping important files about patients in one space, where staff could easily find what they were looking for. This filing system also helped in White's goal of having the staff record patient treatment and progress on standardized forms. These forms would help in solidifying a common language and evaluation process between all staff members at Saint Elizabeths.

White also started a program to photograph patients and document their history, which he believed would be valuable to the patient, their families, and the staff. All of these records, and the history they documented, were kept in the new Administration Building. This helped in establish an important archive about the history of Saint Elizabeths and its patients.

The Administration Building is red brick with white stone quoin trimmings. It is made up of a three-story center pavilion and two, two-story wings. The facade of the building's central pavilion has a portico and six colossal columns. The building is not currently being used and sits empty on Saint Elizabeths' West Campus.

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Redwood Street SE