Perched on the shores of Lake Ontario, Rockwood Asylum in Kingston came from a Victorian vision of “moral treatment”. Where the calming view of the water was intended to heal minds.
Established in the 1860s and ironically constructed by inmates of Kingston Penitentiary. The facility was a marvel. It was a hopeful shift in Canadian mental healthcare, from treating the mentally ill as criminals to viewing them as patients deserving dignity.
However, beneath the calming beauty was a strange history. From the charismatic head “con man” to the murder of a visionary at the hands of a patient.
Rockwood’s legacy is as dark as it is groundbreaking. Now a silent shell, the asylum stands as a haunting monument to the “Friendless” now forgotten.
by Ghost Guide Daniel
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History | Con Man | Murder | Grave Robbing | Ghosts
*See & hear about Hamilton Century Manor Asylum on our Dundurn Castle & a Bus Tour Event*
Shadows of Rockwood in Kingston
This is the story of Rockwood Asylum. A place where healing collided with the reality of Victorian madness.
In the mid-1800s, Ontario faced a grim problem, “What do we do with the “insane”?”
At the time, if you were deemed a lunatic, your treatment involved being thrown into a Gaol (Prison). And they were dreadful places like Don Jail in Toronto or the Carleton building in Ottawa. Reaching levels of torture over recovery. Horrid punishment not seen today.
Rockwood was meant to be hopeful. A new humane chapter in Canadian healthcare.
Vision of Calm but Built by Convicts
Rockwood was established in the 1860s on the shores of Lake Ontario. Becoming among a few dedicated asylums in Canada.
All starting with the Provincial Asylum in New Brunswick, which opened in 1835. That was the first time a distinction was made between criminals and the mentally ill in Canada.
Rockwood’s location wasn’t an accident. The view of the Lake was meant to have a “calming effect” on the patients.
However, ironically, this monument of healing was built by inmates of the nearby Kingston Penitentiary.
And it was cutting-edge for the 19th century! Featuring…
- Large, airy sitting rooms.
- Spacious patient quarters.
- One of the first central heating systems in all of Canada.
Sir John A. Macdonald Connection
The building was so impressive that it was personally inspected by Sir John A. Macdonald while he was serving as the Premier of Ontario (only 8 years before becoming Prime Minister).
Having grown up in Kingston since age five, Macdonald took personal interest in Rockwood and the type of mental health healing it represented.
As he oversaw the expansion of many facilities when serving as Attorney General of the Province of Canada (now Ontario).
A Respected Con-Man named John Litchfield
The asylum opened under the leadership of John Litchfield, a man who would become one of the most respected con-men in Canadian history.
Litchfield was appointed to the role by Allan MacNab (essentially the Original Prime Minister of the Province of Canada), and Sir John A. Macdonald’s boss.
Under Litchfield, Rockwood saw a strange mix of old-world brutality (like lobotomies, common at the time). But also, a surprising shift toward compassion.
Litchfield famously argued that “criminal lunatics were no more dangerous than regular lunatics” and should be treated as such.
He was described by others as a “kindly gentleman”. Seen near Rockwood driving his wife around in a sophisticated basket-bodied phaeton (sporty, open-topped horse carriage).
And the community loved him! Even after they discovered he wasn’t a medical professional. Oops!
Litchfield lied about his credentials from the start. But through will and charisma, he rose through the ranks and ran Rockwood Asylum for years.
Only leaving the post after his death in 1868.
Price of Kindness with the Death of Dr. Metcalf
While Litchfield was a lovable fraud, Dr. William Metcalf was the real deal. He was a visionary who pushed for the humane treatment of the patients at Rockwood.
Metcalf abolished physical restraints and introduced recreation. Even encouraging patients to perform stage plays for fun.
However, his “open door policy” led to his end.
On August 16, 1885, a paranoid schizophrenic patient named Patrick Maloney confronted Metcalf. Armed with a dinner knife from the kitchen.
Maloney stabbed Metcalf in the stomach. The Doctor died three days later.
Maloney was confused about the murder. Later claimed he didn’t believe Metcalf was dead and hadn’t intended to kill him.
Sadly, there are no records I could find about Maloney’s fate. But the murder didn’t slow advances in mental health.
The death of Dr. Metcalf led to his partner taking over.
Dr. Charles Clarke took over Rockwood. Running it for 20 years to 1905. And introduced “moral treatment”. Focusing on treating patients with dignity.
Abolishing restraints and starting the first training school for Asylum nurses in Canada.
Grave Robbing and “The Friendless”
The history of Rockwood still has more darkness. When in 1895, a scandal rocked Kingston.
Seven bodies were stolen from the “Roman Catholic Cemetery”. No name or details were given about this historic burial ground.
However, I think it was likely St. Mary’s located north of the downtown (MAP).
It wasn’t the first Catholic graveyard in Kingston but was the most active one in 1895. Only 3 years after they banned burials in the town limits.
And since these were “fresh bodies”, it makes sense. Comment below if you disagree.
Taking Bodies with Explosions
The grave robbers used explosives. They blew doors off a vault housing the recently dead in the middle of the night. Taking the bodies and slipping away before security came.
I assume the Security Guard was impaired. How do you miss an explosion?
And two of the bodies were former patients from Rockwood.
During those times, medical students at Queen’s University were desperate for bodies. During a time of deep religious aversion to the dissection of bodies. Thinking it was against God.
They targeted “the Friendless”. Patients with no family and unclaimed bodies. And seen as “ideal” for studying the brains of the mentally ill.
Abandoned and Haunted?
Today, Rockwood Asylum was abandoned. Closing in 2000 and still empty today.
Since closing, it stood as a silent heritage property with no future. The building now part of Kingston’s dark tourism.
A visitor on a unique trolley tour gave a detailed review …
- The “Suicide Stairs” … where mysterious black crosses mark windows of its location for people looking outside.
- The “Help Window” … where the word is etched into the glass from the inside.
- And a Haunted Fountain … where a child was said to have drowned. Includes stained blood seeped into the stone.
Legit Canadian History with no Museum
While this history is undeniably dark, it is also an essential part of the Canadian history. One that currently lacks a museum to call its own.
Perhaps the medical industry would rather forget mistakes of the past. From lobotomies to electro-shock therapy.
Yet, even during the Dark Ages of Mental Healthcare, there were genuine intentions to learn and improve.
That’s why I believe an abandoned site like Rockwood or Hamilton’s Century Manor should be preserved as a museum. Without a dedicated space for reflection, these extreme stories remain untold, and the victims … forgotten.
*See & hear about Hamilton Century Manor Asylum on our Dundurn Castle & a Bus Tour Event*