Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A program centered on the old Eloise Asylum and Sanitorium is taking place at the Brighton District Library next week.

The Detroit area’s infamous Eloise complex began in the 1830’s as the Wayne County Poorhouse. By the mid-1850s, it became a psychiatric hospital and moved to modern day Westland. As the 20th century began, Eloise took on a new responsibility—caring for those with tuberculosis.

In its prime, Eloise consisted of 78 buildings on 902 acres with 10,000 patients along with 2,000 staff. It was the largest psychiatric facility in the United States. Only five of the 78 buildings and the Eloise Cemetery remain, per Wikipedia.

The upcoming program will be hosted by Joe Oldenburg, a retired instructor of Michigan History at Oakland Community College. He has also spent time as a librarian/archivist with the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library. In addition to his presentations on the Eloise complex, Oldenburg has a passion for local Michigan history, including the beginnings of the automobile industry in Detroit, the Maybury Sanitorium in Northville Township, early Native American Tribes of Michigan, and more.

Oldenburg’s expertise for history is said to create a one-of-a-kind presentation. It takes place next Wednesday, March 13th from 7 to 8pm. Registration details are available in the provided link. Those interested can also call the library at 810-229-6571 for more information.