By Mary O’KEEFE

Friends of Rockhaven continued its recognition and celebration of Rockhaven Sanitarium’s 100th anniversary by hosting a dance at Montrose Girl Scout House last weekend.

Rockhaven Sanitarium was dedicated to women’s mental health. Agnes Richards founded Rockhaven in 1923 after working as a nurse in mental facilities that were not kind to women.

Richards, and later her daughter Patricia Traviss, never referred to those in her care as “patients” but as “ladies.” They were treated with respect and Rockhaven, with its well-manicured grounds and artwork, was a place where healing could begin. Often women would be abused in mental facilities and could be committed to one if they had issues relating to menopause or if their husband just didn’t like his wife’s attitude.

The sanitarium, which is listed on the state and national Historical Resources, is considered as a place of women’s historical significance.

The Friends of Rockhaven (FOR) is a non-profit organization that supports the historical preservation of the sanitarium. The organization’s annual meeting, and dance soiree, was held on Oct. 14. It was not held on the Rockhaven property due to the FOR being “cut off” from the Rockhaven property by the City of Glendale.

Rockhaven owner Traviss operated the sanitarium until her retirement in 2001. She sold the sanitarium to a large hospital corporation; however, by 2006 it was found the upkeep was too costly and it was sold to developers who planned to demolish Rockhaven and build condos. The community stepped in to stop the demolition and the City of Glendale purchased Rockhaven with the intent to open the property to the public for use as a community park, according to FOR.

Recently, the Friends of Rockhaven filed a lawsuit against the City of Glendale as a “last resort” to get the City to maintain the historical site.

As previously written in CVW, after 15 years Friends of Rockhaven members felt enough time had been allowed for the City to care for and maintain the site’s buildings, which have fallen into disrepair. The lawsuit also asks for an accounting of the funds that had been put aside for Rockhaven’s maintenance, said Joanna Linkchorst, president of Friends of Rockhaven.

Prior to the filing members of the Rockhaven organization conducted tours of the former sanitarium and were meeting with City officials concerning maintenance of the property and the buildings on it. Since the lawsuit was filed, however, the members of Friends of Rockhaven are no longer allowed on the property and dialogue between the organization and the City has halted.
The City claims it has been working on maintaining the Rockhaven site.
“The tarping of the buildings has been completed, as well as the roof replacement on the Pines Cottage building,” stated Bradley Calvert, director of Community Development for the City of Glendale.

But concerns surround the damage that has already been done to the buildings, most of which are on the historical registry, due to exposure to the weather over the years including recent rains. Issues include the condition of the roofs, mold abatement and drainage.

New information on the condition of the property may not be available in the near future but Friends of Rockhaven is hopeful that its members will soon be able to return to the historic property.

The isolation that FOR members feel has been difficult, especially for its founder/president Linkchorst, but that hasn’t stopped them from spreading the importance about this women’s historical facility and raising funds to help with their fight to maintain it – and if Saturday night is any indication it hasn’t kept them from dancing.