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=== Dorothea Dix Hospital ===
=== Dorothea Dix Hospital ===
The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as Dorothea Dix Hospital. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.<ref>{{cite web |last=Covington |first=Howard E., Jr. |title=Dorothea Dix Hospital |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/dorothea-dix-hospital |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as [[Dorothea Dix Hospital]]. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.<ref>{{cite web |last=Covington |first=Howard E., Jr. |title=Dorothea Dix Hospital |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/dorothea-dix-hospital |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mental Health Care in North Carolina |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/mental-health-care-north-carolina |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mental Health Care in North Carolina |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/mental-health-care-north-carolina |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
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In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, North Carolina shifted away from large institutional psychiatric hospitals toward community-based mental health care. As part of this transition, Dorothea Dix Hospital gradually reduced operations and officially closed in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Campus |url=https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/dorothea-dix-campus |website=ncdhhs.gov |publisher=North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, North Carolina shifted away from large institutional psychiatric hospitals toward community-based mental health care. As part of this transition, Dorothea Dix Hospital gradually reduced operations and officially closed in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Campus |url=https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/dorothea-dix-campus |website=ncdhhs.gov |publisher=North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


== Transfer to the City of Raleigh ==
=== Transfer to the City ===
In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park History |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-history |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park History |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-history |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


== Park planning and Master Plan ==
== Park planning and Master Plan ==
Following acquisition of the property, the City of Raleigh initiated an extensive planning process. In April 2019, the Raleigh City Council adopted the '''Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan''', a long-range framework intended to guide the park’s design, development, and programming over multiple decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan |url=https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR22/DixParkMasterPlan.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=City of Raleigh |date=April 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
In 2016, the City signed an MOU with the [[Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy]] to guide the development of a master plan for the park. The Conservancy works in partnership with the [[City of Raleigh]] to raise private funds, coordinate programming, and advocate for the park’s long-term vision.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=https://dixpark.org/about/our-story/|website=dixpark.org|publisher=Dix Park Conservancy|access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref> In April 2019, the Raleigh City Council adopted the [[Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan]], a long-range framework intended to guide the park’s design, development, and programming over multiple decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan |url=https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR22/DixParkMasterPlan.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=City of Raleigh |date=April 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


The master plan emphasizes several guiding principles:
''Main article: [[Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan]]''
* Preservation of large contiguous open spaces
* Environmental stewardship and restoration
* Integration with surrounding neighborhoods and downtown Raleigh
* Limited permanent structures relative to the site’s size


=== Governance and advisory structure ===
=== Governance and advisory structure ===
To support planning and oversight, the City created the Dix Park Inter-Departmental Team and a public advisory committee. The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dix Park Advisory Committee |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dix-park-advisory-committee |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dix Park Advisory Committee |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dix-park-advisory-committee |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


== Dix Park Conservancy ==
On May 9, 2020, the City and the Conservancy signed a new MOA to guide the implementation of the Master Plan. As part of the MOA, the Master Plan Executive Committee was replaced with the Dix Park Leadership Committee, which was created to provide guidance to City staff, the Conservancy, and other partners on the implementation of the Master Plan.<ref>https://go.boarddocs.com/nc/raleigh/Board.nsf/files/BRZSHR72CD45/$file/20200804DixParkLeadCommGoverningGuidelines.pdf</ref> Additionally, the 2020 MOA replaced the Master Plan Advisory Committee (MPAC) with the Dix Park Community Committee, with 21 of the 45 members rolling over from the MPAC. Ultimate authority over land use and capital decisions remains with the City and the [[Raleigh City Council]].  
The [[Dix Park Conservancy]] is a nonprofit organization established to support the development, activation, and long-term stewardship of Dorothea Dix Park. The Conservancy works in partnership with the [[City of Raleigh]] to raise private funds, coordinate programming, and advocate for the park’s long-term vision.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://dixpark.org/about/our-story/ |website=dixpark.org |publisher=Dix Park Conservancy |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
 
|+Dix Park Leadership Committee (January 2026)<ref>https://dixpark.org/leadership-committee</ref>
The Conservancy operates under a formal agreement with the City of Raleigh and does not own the park property. Ultimate authority over land use and capital decisions remains with the City and the [[Raleigh City Council]].
!Name
 
!Position
== Development and implementation ==
|-
Development of Dorothea Dix Park is planned to occur over multiple phases. Initial improvements focused on safety, access, and interim uses, such as temporary event spaces, sunflower fields, and seasonal programming.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park Events |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-events |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
|[[Janet Cowell]] (Chair)
 
|Mayor
== Relationship to city planning ==
|-
Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the [[Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan]], as a key civic and recreational asset.<ref>{{cite web |title=2030 Comprehensive Plan |url=https://raleighnc.gov/planning/services/2030-comprehensive-plan |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>
|Bill Ross (Vice-Chair)
|
|-
|Marchell Adams-David
|City Manager
|-
|Stephen Bentley
|Director, [[Raleigh Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Department]]
|-
|Nancy McFarlane
|[[Dix Park Conservancy]]
|-
|Orage Quarles
|[[Dix Park Conservancy]]
|-
|Ed Fritsch
|[[Dix Park Conservancy]]
|-
|Christa Herndon
|Chair, Dix Park Community Committee
|-
|Chris Pereira
|Chair, [[Parks Recreation Greenways Advisory Board]]
|-
|Alicia Knight
|Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, [[NC State University]]
|-
|David Smith
|Deputy Commissioner, NC Department of Agriculture
|}
Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the [[Raleigh Comprehensive Plan]], as a key civic and recreational asset.<ref>{{cite web|title=2030 Comprehensive Plan|url=https://raleighnc.gov/planning/services/2030-comprehensive-plan|website=raleighnc.gov|publisher=City of Raleigh|access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[City of Raleigh]]
* [[City of Raleigh]]
* [[Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources]]
* [[Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan]]
* [[North Carolina mental health history]]


== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />


[[Category:Parks in Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[index.php?title=Category:Parks in Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[index.php?title=Category:Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Urban parks in North Carolina]]
[[index.php?title=Category:Urban parks in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Government of Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[index.php?title=Category:Government of Raleigh, North Carolina]]

Revision as of 17:36, 26 January 2026

Dorothea Dix Park
Dorothea Dix Park skyline view

Dorothea Dix Park is a public park located southwest of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The park occupies approximately 308 acres of land formerly used as the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus and is one of the largest public parks in the City of Raleigh. The site offers expansive views of the downtown skyline and serves as a major open-space and civic amenity.[1]

The park is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh and has been developed through a multi-phase planning and public engagement process following the closure of the hospital and transfer of the property from the State of North Carolina to the city.

Site history

Dorothea Dix Hospital

The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as Dorothea Dix Hospital. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.[2]

Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.[3]

Closure and state ownership

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, North Carolina shifted away from large institutional psychiatric hospitals toward community-based mental health care. As part of this transition, Dorothea Dix Hospital gradually reduced operations and officially closed in 2012.[4]

Transfer to the City

In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.[5]

Park planning and Master Plan

In 2016, the City signed an MOU with the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy to guide the development of a master plan for the park. The Conservancy works in partnership with the City of Raleigh to raise private funds, coordinate programming, and advocate for the park’s long-term vision.[6] In April 2019, the Raleigh City Council adopted the Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan, a long-range framework intended to guide the park’s design, development, and programming over multiple decades.[7]

Main article: Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan

Governance and advisory structure

The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.[8]

On May 9, 2020, the City and the Conservancy signed a new MOA to guide the implementation of the Master Plan. As part of the MOA, the Master Plan Executive Committee was replaced with the Dix Park Leadership Committee, which was created to provide guidance to City staff, the Conservancy, and other partners on the implementation of the Master Plan.[9] Additionally, the 2020 MOA replaced the Master Plan Advisory Committee (MPAC) with the Dix Park Community Committee, with 21 of the 45 members rolling over from the MPAC. Ultimate authority over land use and capital decisions remains with the City and the Raleigh City Council.

Dix Park Leadership Committee (January 2026)[10]
Name Position
Janet Cowell (Chair) Mayor
Bill Ross (Vice-Chair)
Marchell Adams-David City Manager
Stephen Bentley Director, Raleigh Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
Nancy McFarlane Dix Park Conservancy
Orage Quarles Dix Park Conservancy
Ed Fritsch Dix Park Conservancy
Christa Herndon Chair, Dix Park Community Committee
Chris Pereira Chair, Parks Recreation Greenways Advisory Board
Alicia Knight Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, NC State University
David Smith Deputy Commissioner, NC Department of Agriculture

Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the Raleigh Comprehensive Plan, as a key civic and recreational asset.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Dorothea Dix Hospital" (link). NCPedia. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Mental Health Care in North Carolina" (link). NCPedia. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Dorothea Dix Campus" (link). ncdhhs.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park History" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Our Story" (link). dixpark.org. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan" (link). City of Raleigh. (April 2019). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Dix Park Advisory Committee" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ https://go.boarddocs.com/nc/raleigh/Board.nsf/files/BRZSHR72CD45/$file/20200804DixParkLeadCommGoverningGuidelines.pdf
  10. ↑ https://dixpark.org/leadership-committee
  11. ↑ "2030 Comprehensive Plan" (link). raleighnc.gov. (). Accessed October 24, 2023.

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