Northville Psychiatric Hospital and Hawthorn Center by the Northville Township Historic District Commission

 w/ Joe Oldenburg

Northville Psychiatric Hospital

Mental health treatment in Michigan began in the 1830s at the Wayne County Poor House in Detroit. By the early 1900s, there were 16 mental hospitals throughout the state. By mid-century, overcrowding at state hospitals in the Metro Detroit area led to the need for a new facility, and Northville Psychiatric Hospital opened in 1948. The hospital became a leader in several areas of treatment before its closing in 2003.

Hawthorn Center

Prior to 1954, children in the state with severe emotional and behavioral disorders were housed in a separate building at Northville Psychiatric Hospital. In 1954, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women began advocating for a dedicated facility. Supported by the Detroit News and the Free Press, the Hawthorn Center was subsequently built on Haggerty Road and opened in 1956.

The Hawthorn Center closed in the spring of 2023, and patients were temporarily transferred to Walter P. Reuther Hospital. A new facility for children’s psychiatric care is currently being constructed on the site of the former Hawthorn Center and is slated to open in 2026.