Craig Colony

1837-1894 - A Shaker community, originally from Sodus, NY, occupied the site where Craig Colony would later be established. The Shakers were a Christian religious sect known for industry, self-sufficiency, and innovation, especially involving agricultural and household goods. Men and women lived separately, every person worked for the good of the community, and all practiced celibacy and simplicity. Several buildings constructed by the Shakers remain on the Groveland site in the 21st century.

The site was known as Sonyea, a local Native American place name with several translations. The name was used long before Craig Colony existed, though a popular myth is that "Sonyea" is an acronym for State Of New York Epileptic Asylum.

1894 - New York State purchased about 1,900 acres of land from the Shakers to establish Craig Colony for Epileptics. It was named after Oscar Craig, late president of the NY State Board of Charities. Dr. Frederick Peterson, an expert on epilepsy, and William Pryor Letchworth, a member of the Board of Charities, also advocated for and influenced the location of the colony in Sonyea, a hamlet of Groveland. The landscape and layout was designed by Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, MA.

1896 - The first residents were received at Craig Colony. To qualify for admission, a person had to be a resident of NYS and be diagnosed with epilepsy. Indigent patients were prioritized. Craig Colony was designed to resemble a self-sufficient village, with separate, homelike housing for men and women, a working farm and garden, and trade shops. Those who were able worked on the grounds and farm, made shoes and mattresses, sewed, gardened, did laundry, and made bricks, among other jobs. Most residents could freely walk the grounds and participate in recreational events such as concerts, movies, dances, and sports.

1897 - The Craig Colony Training School for Nurses was established as a two-year program. It became a three-year program in 1912.

1902 - A Catholic church was constructed on the property.

1903 - The Colonist's Club was established as a men's social club and governed by residents. The men enjoyed a library, theater shows, board games, sports, and picnics. The club, which was said to be unique across the state, continued until 1972.

1927 - The state supervision of Craig Colony passed from the NYS Board of Charities to the Department of Mental Hygiene.

1932 - The physical therapy department was launched at Craig, which included sports and dances in addition to more traditional exercises.

1933 - The Protestant Chapel was dedicated. Before then, Protestant and Jewish services were held in the old House of the Elders, a Shaker building.

1936 - Organized occupational therapy activities were established. These included weaving, carpentry, leatherworking, and social skills.

1945 - According to annual reports, there was a noticeable increase by this time of younger patients who presented more disabilities in addition to epilepsy.

1946 - About this year,  the House of Elders, a former Shaker building, was damaged by fire and torn down. It had been the main assembly hall before Shanahan Hall was constructed around 1931 and continued to be a gathering space, including for Jewish religious services and activities.

1952 - The Department of Mental Hygiene took over the education and training department for children. Prior to this year, the State Teacher's College at Geneseo (now SUNY Geneseo) administered the department.

1968 -  By this time, fewer people were being admitted to Craig as a result of better understanding of epilepsy and improved medications. The facility was officially no longer a specialized institution for people with epilepsy and was phased into an institution to care for and educate those with a wide range of mental and physical disabilities. It was renamed Craig State School for one year.

1969 -  Craig State School became Craig Developmental Center. Around this time, residents no longer performed farm work.

1972 - A large wooded parcel of land was transferred to the NY Department of Environmental Conservation and became Sonyea State Forest. The same year, 200 residents were moved into other state schools nearer to their respective residences, leaving the population at Craig at about 1,400.

1975 -  A consent decree signed by NYS required residents of Willowbrook Developmental Center on Staten Island to be moved into community homes; this was the beginning of the deinstitutionalization movement in New York that began phasing out institutions, including Craig. Residents of the institution began to be placed in group homes, and the population decreased after peaking at over 2,000 in the 1960s.

1977 - The Craig Colony School of Nursing closed.

1980 - Several homes and farm buildings from Craig Colony were sold and moved or demolished.

1982 - Several Craig officials are let go and shortly afterward, Governor announces plan to phase out Craig and use the facility for a state prison by April 1985. Much local controversy erupted about the plan.

1983 - Groveland Correctional Facility, a medium-security state prison, renovated and took over most of the buildings and grounds of Craig Colony. About 120 residents remained in the developmental center, reduced to one building.

1988 - In November, Craig Developmental Center officially closed. The last residents were moved into community group homes, including in Avon, Dansville, Geneseo, Lima, Livonia, Mt. Morris, Nunda, Springwater, and West Sparta. Day treatment centers were based in Geneseo, Dansville, and Perry. The administrative Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) relocated to the Doty building at SUNY Geneseo.