Dorothea Dix Park — the city’s largest park, nestled on 308 acres at the edge of downtown — has been referred to as Raleigh’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park. And that’s the idea.
Earlier this year, Raleigh City Council approved the park’s master plan , which will develop the park for greater community use in phases and over decades.
A phase one implementation plan was proposed in September, which would create a multi-use path along Lake Wheeler, create the Gateway Plaza and play area + enhance the Rocky Branch Creek.
But what was the park before now? And who was Dorothea Dix? The land has a long history, and we wanted to find out exactly what that looked like.
Here’s a timeline of what is now Dorothea Dix Park:
- c. 1771-1848: The property comprised the heart of Spring Hill plantation, which was owned by the Hunter family in Wake County.
- 1849: Dorothea Dix visits North Carolina + calls for care reform for mentally ill patients. Dix was a well-known advocate and national lobbyist, who worked to create the first generation of American asylums. She also served during the Civil War as a Superintendent of Army Nurses.
- 1856: Dix Hill Hospital (later renamed Dorothea Dix Hospital) opened to treat patients, including those “who suffered from melancholy, mania, head injury, depression + epilepsy,” which were misunderstood at the time. Nationally-renowned architects — A.J. Davis and A.G. Bauer — were involved in the design of the hospital, which favored the cultivation of “the grove” and promoted a natural aesthetic and the belief that the tranquility of nature benefits the healing process.
- 1920: N.C. architect C.C. Hook added new buildings and connections.
- 2000: An outside consultant recommended that Dix Hospital be shut down and the land was purchased by the State of N.C. to avoid this closure and continue operations.
- 2012: Due to lack of funding over several years, the hospital moved its remaining patients to Central Regional Hospital in Butner and closed permanently.
- 2015: The City of Raleigh purchased the land from the State.
- 2018: Opened to the public for recreational use and community programming, such as yoga + outdoor movies. There is also a temporary dog park on the grounds.