History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

319

In March, 1909, the central dining room was opened with provision
for 600 patients, both sexes eating in the same room. These changes
(dining room, chapel and assembly hall) cost in the neighborhood of
$6o,ooo.
In I907 the old water tanks in the attics were abandoned and an
outside water tower erected, one more vertical water tube boiler installed
and a central heating plant connected with all of the detached buildings
was erected; all at an expense of $40,000. The laundry building was
partially destroyed by fire in I908, and in I9I0 a modern dairy barn was
completed for the valuable herd of Holstein cattle belonging to the
asylum.
In I9I money was appropriated by the legislature to complete the rehabilitation of the boiler room; two more vertical water tube boilers were
erected, replacing the former ones of the old horizontal type and supplying the institution for the first time in many years with a reserve horse
power.
An infirmary building for men and a home for night nurses are
perhaps the most important projects now under way in the development
of the Pontiac State Hospital.
In general, it may be stated that the I,300 patients are so classified
that the most violent, and those requiring the closest attention, are housed
in the main building-the administration building; while the milder cases
are cared for in the cottages and hospital proper.