Rockhaven Sanitarium: The Legacy of Agnes Richards

by Elisa Jordan

For decades, the mild climate of the Crescenta Valley served as a haven for those seeking mental health rest and relief from lung ailments. In 1923, registered nurse Agnes Richards decided it was the perfect place to open a sanitarium, one that would set itself apart from the rest. Rockhaven Sanitarium catered to female residents only and, with few exceptions, exclusively employed women. It was a progressive treatment center that prided itself on treating residents with dignity and respect. The center's high ideals and proximity to early Hollywood attracted residents like Billie Burke; Marilyn Monroe's mother, Gladys; and Clark Gable's first wife, Josephine Dillon. Join author Elisa Jordan as she explores Rockhaven's illustrious past.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2018

Reviews

[Shar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially purchased this book because of its Marilyn Monroe connection – Marilyn’s mother Gladys spent most of her life in institutions and was at Rockhaven from February 1953 until November 1966. However, I found the book far more informative outside of my interest in Marilyn’s Mother.
The author takes you through the life of Agnes Richards, a nurse who founded Rockhaven in a time when women rarely worked outside of the home, Agnes was a single parent (widowed) whose interest in mental health broke beyond the barrier of necessity – she was an advocate for women and set up Rockhaven to both care for women and employ an almost exclusively female staff.
Agnes was also refreshingly ahead of her time in her approach to mental health issues.

The author Elisa Jordan, takes the reader through vignettes of some of Rockhaven’s more well known residents – I particularly enjoyed reading about Clark Gable’s connection with Rockhaven through his first wife Josephine Dillon.

This is a short book of 117 pages which I pretty much read through in one go – I could very happily have read on further!

[Julie Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful history of an important place - great photos, well-documented history

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my review here