"Rockwood Barn" - Kingston

In 1859, a grand limestone building was built overlooking Lake Ontario in Kingston. The building's purpose was to house the overflowing population of "criminally insane" inmates of the Kingston Penitentiary. Authorities at the asylum had a loose definition of 'insane', incarcerating not only those with mental health issues, but the violent or infirm, and even "promiscuous" women. In the 1800s, the aim of doctors was not to heal the mentally ill, but to simply to pacify them. Most patients were treated with alcohol and sedatives, while other unlucky patients were subjected to blood letting, leeching, and even lobotomies. The asylum maintained its questionable practices until 1959, when the patients were moved and the building was used as a residence for people with disabilities. Health care cuts in 2000 saw the historic building closed, and it sits empty to this day. Pictured in this drawing is an outbuilding that lies abandoned on the grounds of the vacant asylum.

This print is a reproduction of a drawing made by Kat Jetté in 2022. The image is printed on Epson archival matte paper and packaged with a foamcore backing.

Image size: 4 x 5 3/4"

Paper size: 8 x 10”

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