1,772 is more than a number on the grounds of the former Crownsville hospital. 1,772 represents the number of patients who died there, often under horrific circumstances, buried with just a number in stone to mark their resting place, if they weren’t “donated” to science.
The history of the hospital is dark, but yesterday gave light as the sun shone down on the names of the people who perished there. I was incredibly humbled to be present for the unveiling and moving program. This ceremony was years in the making. a bond bill from Senator Ed Reilly, support from former County Executive John Leopold, and recent funding from state and local government. but none of it would have been possible without the countless hours that volunteers put in going through archives, to identify as many patients as possible. In the future, a memorial gazebo will be added, with art creations from AACPS students of wild birds flying over the wooden up reaching hands towards a flying dove. The birds represent the patients who were never buried, and the hands and dove were sculpted out of a tree located in the area of the cemetery. In my program, I had the name of patient James Robert Littlejohn. I found his name on the memorial, and learned he was from South Carolina. To all who painstakingly prepared for this day, you did an incredibly touching job to recognize and remember the patients whose final resting place was Crownsville hospital.
