Having gotten so comfy at our location on Red Drive over the last couple of years most of us have forgotten the historical significance of this location.
Higher Grounds currently resides on the north side of the old Laundry Building for the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. This building was once responsible for doing the laundry for over 3500 patients. Under the philosophy of “work is therapy” patients were enlisted to do certain jobs within their capabilities. Many of these patients were put to work in the laundry room where Higher Grounds now calls home.
Another philosophy the asylum believed in was “beauty is therapy”. This meant that patients were encouraged to work while also surrounded by the tranquility of nature. To help display the full beauty of the scenery buildings were built in a way to let in the most light and put the countryside on exhibit. This explains the full wall of windows in our coffee bar. Even today the sun shines intensely through those windows and warms the air in the coffee bar. And now that spring is finally here the view allows us to watch the dogs play fetch in the field and the creek trickle by under our mini bridge.
Pictures courtesy of History Center of Traverse City
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