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It was once the largest facility for mentally ill people in Washington State. Established as a hospital in 1909, after conditions of over-crowding at Western State Hospital became the subject of public criticism, Northern State Mental Hospital was a town unto itself. Its grounds were designed by the Olmsted Brothers, whose famous father designed New York City’s Central Park. Its architects worked in close collaboration with Northern State’s farm superintendent to create a self-sustaining and therapeutic colony for the mentally ill. The hospital site included patient and staff housing, a water reservoir, sewage system, lumber mill, quarry, steam plant, greenhouse, canning facilities, gymnasium, library, laundry, dining room, bakery, dairy, and a 700-acre farm for growing vegetables and raising livestock. A cemetery was also included in the site plan.

At one time in the 1950s about 2,700 patients lived at Northern State. This was the full capacity of the hospital according to the superintendent at the time, but he was still being pressured to take on more patients. The public perception of mental hospitals began to change in the 1970s, and Northern State Mental Hospital closed its doors in 1976 after the State Legislature cut off funding. Some of the buildings, including the farm’s housing ward, have since been torn down.

Today the active buildings at Northern State are off-limits to members of the public, but much of the former property is now a part of Northern State Recreation Area, which is located just north of the Skagit River near Sedro-Woolley. The recreation area has an extensive trail system that takes visitors through wide open pastures, along forested lanes, and past the still standing barns, milking shed, cannery, and other structures used during the hospital’s self-sustaining past. You can also visit the old cemetery, which is the resting place of at least 1,500 people.

The SWIFT Center

Since its closure, the Northern State Hospital has largely retained the physical identity that originated with the Olmsted Brothers’ master plan. Approximately 40 percent of the existing buildings are unoccupied, and a number of historical buildings have been demolished over time, while newer buildings that are not compatible with the original master plan have been constructed. In 2010, the State of Washington began to look for a local champion to acquire and redevelop the site to serve a greater community purpose.

Through an innovative partnership between the City of Sedro-Woolley, Skagit County, and the Port of Skagit, exploration began for adaptive re-use of the 225 acre property, which as been deemed significant enough to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. This effort has resulted in an Interlocal Agreement that states the following goals for the redevelopment of the Northern State Property:

• Encourage the private sector to create and sustain jobs at Northern State benefitting all of Skagit County and its citizens.

• Continue and promote public recreational use of Northern State.

• Protect the environmentally sensitive areas of Northern State, in particular Hansen Creek.

• Acknowledge and protect the historic significance of Northern State to the local community, the wider region and the State of Washington.

• Acknowledge and respect the neighboring Upper Skagit Indian Tribal Nation’s interests in Northern State.

What has emerged from the Interlocal Agreement is the SWIFT Center (Sedro-Woolley Innovation for Tomorrow). As the SWIFT Center, the property is the home for Frontier Communications Northwest, Inc., Janicki Bioenergy, Pioneer Human Services, Telecare Mental Health Services of Washington, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Labor–Cascades Job Corps. As the goals of Interlocal Agreement suggest, the future of the old Northern State Hospital will combine the preservation of a key piece of Skagit Valley history with a forward looking economic vision based on new technologies and services, while maintaining the site’s environmental integrity and recreational appeal.

As it turns out, Meyer Sign & Advertising has its own historical ties to the Northern State Hospital Site. Through all four years of Meyer Sign owner Ken Hitt’s high school career, he worked for the farmer that leased the fields and dairy buildings. Today, Meyer Sign is providing the signage for Northern State Hospital’s reincarnation, including its entry sign and 17 directional signs designed to help the public explore the site. As Ken says, “There is a ton of history with this place…and since I was crazy enough to get into the sign making business, I’m surprised I wasn’t admitted back when I worked there.” We may still be crazy after all these years, but we’re proud to be a part of the Northern State Hospital’s future as the SWIFT Center, as well as a part of its past.