Origins

Butler Hospital was founded in 1844 by the philanthropist Nicholas Brown and opened to the public in 1947. In his will, Mr. Brown wrote that he wanted a hospital for the mentally disturbed to be built in Providence and donated $30,000. He wanted to construct a place where any afflicted person-regardless of class or religious background-could better themselves in their home state of Rhode Island. He also stated in his will that he wanted the new hospital to have the most comprehensive design and to provide a setting that would be as enjoyable as possible for the patients. At this time, the members of the Trustee Board asked Cyrus Butler if he would donate funds to the construction of the hospital. He agreed to donate $40,000 as long as the hospital board vowed to follow certain regulations. The board agreed that there would be $50,000 available after construction costs for future support and that Butler Hospital would be dependent on the donations and support of the members of the Rhode Island community.