Mayford's History
Mayford Mental Institution originally began construction in 1893 and was intended to be a cathedral. The cathedral was near completion when the first Polio outbreak hit the U.S. in 1894, and funding for the building was allocated elsewhere to help support local hospitals, providing supplies and staffing to care for the unexpected flooding of patients.
In 1916, Dr. John Mayford M. D. moved from overseas with his wife and four children, having been recruited to oversee the conversion of several buildings being converted into Polio sanatoriums throughout the northeastern part of the U.S.
Upon arriving in Vermont, Dr. Mayford saw the potential in the beautiful and unfinished structure, purchasing and finishing the building with his own funds. Initially, the hospital mostly intended to Polio patients, but Dr. Mayford's vision for the hospital was to eventually transition into a facility that would aid in educating medical students as well as care for the sick.
Due to it’s size, Mayford began taking many transfer patients from hospitals all over the country that no longer had the room to house patients that needed long-term care. Seeing a need for patients who suffered from mental illness that needed extended care, Dr. Mayford began restricting his patient base to only those clinically diagnosed with mental illness.
In 1956, shortly before Dr. Mayford passed away, he changed the name from Mayford Medical Institution to Mayford Mental Institution.
The hospital is currently ran by Dr. Mayford’s oldest daughter, Isabelle.
In 1916, Dr. John Mayford M. D. moved from overseas with his wife and four children, having been recruited to oversee the conversion of several buildings being converted into Polio sanatoriums throughout the northeastern part of the U.S.
Upon arriving in Vermont, Dr. Mayford saw the potential in the beautiful and unfinished structure, purchasing and finishing the building with his own funds. Initially, the hospital mostly intended to Polio patients, but Dr. Mayford's vision for the hospital was to eventually transition into a facility that would aid in educating medical students as well as care for the sick.
Due to it’s size, Mayford began taking many transfer patients from hospitals all over the country that no longer had the room to house patients that needed long-term care. Seeing a need for patients who suffered from mental illness that needed extended care, Dr. Mayford began restricting his patient base to only those clinically diagnosed with mental illness.
In 1956, shortly before Dr. Mayford passed away, he changed the name from Mayford Medical Institution to Mayford Mental Institution.
The hospital is currently ran by Dr. Mayford’s oldest daughter, Isabelle.