Austin State Hospital

While Texas was a frontier state and psychiatry a pioneer venture, the Texas Legislature in 1856 created this hospital for the mentally ill; in 1925, named Austin State Hospital. Oldest Texas mental hospital. Construction began in 1857. The institution, then housed in the Administration Building, was opened May 11, 1861, with about a dozen patients and has continued to be dedicated to mental health programs. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966