Syracuse Developmental Center County Admission Registers

Alphabetical by county, and therein roughly by admission date.

This series consists of registers, organized by county, listing those admitted to the Syracuse Developmental Center (from the time it was called the New York State Asylum for Idiots, through all successive institutional name changes). Listings within each county are roughly chronological by admission date. Information provided varies between volume one and the other two volumes; the latter two have identical headings. Each volume includes an alphabetical surname index.

By county, the first volume lists name; town; class (identification number); age; sex; color; nativity (country/state); date admitted; how supported ("state" or a dollar amount); how clothed (parents or county); by whom committed; date discharged; date died; and remarks. Notes under the remarks column are usually the place or person to whom discharged; sometimes, a cause of death is given, or simply the phrase "went away" (probably referring to elopement, or escape). Admission and discharge dates are ca. 1866-1912.

Volumes 2 and 3 were kept consecutively. Volume 2 was begun September 1912, with admission and discharge dates ca. 1872-1930. Volume 3 was begun December 1930, with admission and discharge dates ca. 1900-1974. Headings for the two volumes are identical, with information on name; number; age; date admitted; by whom committed; town; nativity; religion; date discharged; to whom discharged; and remarks. As of October 1971 (when the Syracuse State School was rebuilt and became the Syracuse Developmental Center), the use of state identification numbers was discontinued under the heading "number" and the consecutive number was used in its place.

B1647Series B1647, Admission, Discharge, Death, and Transfer Records, contains related records.

Each volume includes an alphabetical surname index.

Volume list is available at the repository.

Restricted in accordance with Mental Hygiene Law, Section 33.13, relating to confidentiality of clinical records. Access is permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.