Oregon Public Broadcasting

One of Oregon’s most iconic buildings is coming down.  This week, crews started dismantling the main building at the Oregon State Hospital -- the mental institution made famous by the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

It became a symbol of everything that’s gone wrong at the Oregon State Hospital.  The 125-year old “J” Building is coming down piece by piece to make way for a new state of the art hospital campus.  

The demolition comes after years of reports of patients living in unsafe conditions. Many of the patients are considered criminally insane.

State Hospital spokeswoman Patricia Feeny says the dismantling process marks the end of an era.

Patricia Feeny:  “The J Building has been associated with everything from Hollywood to -- at the time -- modern, breakthrough treatment.  Initially it was called an asylum, because it was considered to be a safe place, a sanctuary for people to come.”

That reputation has long since been tarnished.  Still, almost half of the J Building will be preserved as a museum and memorial to house the unclaimed remains of roughly 3000 patients who died there.

The new hospital campus is set to be finished in 2011.  A second facility will be built in Junction City.

Online:

Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project