Tours of Hab Center Thursday

Nevada Daily Mail

Southwest Community Services (formerly the Nevada Habilitation Center and State Hospital) will be moving to a new building, adjacent to the Sheriff's Department, during the first week of December.

The former facility has been an integral part of this city and county for nearly 130 years, noted a press release.

"There have literally been thousands of people employed here over the years and there is a tremendous amount of history on campus. The current administration here felt it would be nice to open our buildings up for tours before we move."

Thursday, Nov. 20, Southwest Community Services will be giving guided tours to retirees, former employees and the public. The tours will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with each tour taking about 30 to 45 minutes.

The tours will be conducted "rain or shine" and will involve walking outdoors, climbing steps, and being in cold buildings.

"We plan for the tours to take people through old parts of Vernon Hall, Benton Hall, Lake View Center (LVC), the underground tunnel system, power plant and kitchen/student union."

Chris Baker, who has spent his entire career at this facility and is now in charge, said the most requests he has had is for tours of the tunnels.

Baker said that the tours would go through a short portion of the tunnel system that connected the various buildings.

He said that while looking through the buildings in preparation for the move he found one of the concrete stones that was embedded in the wall of the Center Building, which has been demolished, with the facility name "State Hospital No. 3."

That 500 pound artifact is currently residing in his office in Vernon Hall and will be moved to the new facility.

Baker said that there is another one designating this as "State Lunatic Asylum No. 3" that is in the museum in St. Joseph.