History Uncovered
Unearthing the Past: Meet Philip, Our New Historic Collections Cataloger
The history of The Traverse City State Hospital lives in the walls, bricks, tunnels, and stained-glass windows of The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. With over a century of stories echoing through these buildings, we’ve collected a rich array of artifacts over the years: from 19th-century employee handbooks to hand-painted artwork by former patients. This spring, we welcomed a new team member to help us make sense of it all.
Philip Heinlen, our part-time Historic Collections Cataloger, joined The Village with a deep passion and degree in public history paired with a curiosity that made him the perfect steward for our past.
“I was interested in pursuing public history because I wanted to be able to tell a story about a person or event that would attract attention and conversations,” Philip shared. “It allows me to look through artifacts and learn about a group’s history and find artifacts they didn’t know existed.”
Philip's work is meticulous and each item he catalogs has its own unique journey. Some artifacts are uncovered during renovations; others are generously donated by former employees or their families. Every piece is carefully unpacked, categorized, and researched. Using a blend of detective work and digital tools, Philip identifies clues such as dates, names, objects, and images. He then records the story of each item in our growing historical database.
Among the treasures he’s encountered so far, a few stand out.
“The most impressive artifact is the original Rules and Regulations from the Traverse City State Hospital which gave clear guidelines on how to treat patients and what to do in certain situations such as escapes.” Philip said. He also highlights a wind chime made from old forks and spoons by an employee, and a letter from Mrs. Munson about her travels to Louisiana, including the Botanical Gardens. It had been considered lost.
As Philip digs deeper into the archives, he's uncovered unexpected stories about the hospital’s former patients and staff—stories that challenge assumptions and shine new light on the past.
“There have been several large surprises I have learned about the patients and staff. I have learned the patients could be checked out by a guardian to leave the asylum which I was unaware of because it is different from normal expectations about these hospitals, and that staff members were personally responsible for patients when they were working in the fields. If one escaped, the search efforts would be paid for by the staff member.” He added, “The variety of food patients had access to was surprising because they had large meals with desserts.”
With each artifact, Philip is helping us build a more complete picture of life at the Traverse City State Hospital—a place with a complex, revolutionary past, but always deep with human history.
Do you have a piece of Village history?
If you have any historical items, photos, or stories connected to the former Traverse City State Hospital, we’d love to hear from you! Each artifact helps us preserve and honor the legacy of #TCSH. Please reach out to us at our contact page.
Your piece of history could help tell the next chapter.