Our mission is to return the Blue Ridge property to its roots as a place of healing
For nearly seventy-five years, the Blue Ridge property operated as a Sanatorium and Hospital. Since 1996, the property has primarily sat unused.
Our proposal is for the 142-acre Blue Ridge property to be returned to its roots as a place of healing, this time as a mental health center serving UVA, the youth of Charlottesville, and the greater Appalachia region.
ABOUT THE BLUE RIDGE PROPERTY
One hundred years ago the State of Virginia – with support from the University of Virginia and the City of Charlottesville – opened the Blue Ridge Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. The state-run Sanatorium operated for 57 years before ownership was transferred to the University of Virginia in 1978. The facility was used by the University as a hospital for another twenty years before closing in 1996. Since that time, the property has primarily sat unused.
A GRANDDAUGHTER AND HER GRANDMOTHER: OUR FOUNDER’S STORY
Let me share my personal story about the Blue Ridge property and my grandmother, Elsie Cash Yates; explain why I am passionate about this project; and share why I am convinced that Blue Ridge is ready to return to its roots as a place of healing.
“Uppermost in any future of Blue Ridge must be the realization of the tradition that has held this health care center together for sixty years. If the tradition - to cure sometimes, to comfort always - is carried into tomorrow, no matter what physical changes occur, Blue Ridge Hospital will remain a mecca for the sick.”
— Albemarle County Historical Society, 1984
THE PROPERTY
Mental health issues significantly impact individuals, families, and communities across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of these problems. The proposed facility at the Blue Ridge Property would serve youth in the community to help alleviate those problems.
Digital rendering of a potential mental health support facility at the Blue Ridge property.
Communities to Serve:
UVA
The University of Virginia, including its 20,000+ student population, could receive support and treatment at the nearby facility.
Charlottesville
Residents of Charlottesville and other nearby communities would be served by a local option for receiving need mental health counseling and support.
Virginia and Greater Appalachia
The greater Appalachia region is in need of high quality resources to serve youth suffering from mental health problems.