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Moccasin Bend archaeological study to conclude by early-October

148 Films / This aerial photograph of Moccasin Bend taken Feb. 6 shows the state mental hospital slated for replacement, foreground, along with the adjacent 13-acre Winston Building site, in the background, where a replacement hospital is proposed to be constructed. 148 Films / This aerial photograph of Moccasin Bend taken Feb. 6 shows the state mental hospital slated for replacement, foreground, along with the adjacent 13-acre Winston Building site, in the background, where a replacement hospital is proposed to be constructed.

By Ben Benton July 28, 2024 11 min read

The archaeological study in progress on Chattanooga’s Moccasin Bend to determine the viability of a site there for a proposed replacement for the state’s aging Mental Health Institute will be completed this fall, according to state officials.

“The Department of General Services expects to receive a copy of the final report in early October,” Matthew Parriott, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, said in an email. “Please know that there will be no other documents or progress reports on the survey which would be available in the meantime.”

Work at the proposed site began Feb. 5 on 13 acres surrounding the Nat T. Winston Jr. Building, according to state officials. Newspaper archives show the building was a 1969 addition to the main hospital. Wilson was named the first superintendent of the hospital in 1960 and served from the time it opened in 1961 until 1964.

The study is divided between two study sites, with a third site as an alternate, Parriott said.