Local photographer documents FSH ahead of bond issue

While Fulton State Hospital fights to pass a bond issue to construct new buildings for the aging mental health facility, Craig Chapman is working to preserve it.

Chapman doesn't wish to stop the bulldozers that hospital administrators hope will soon bring down older, unusable structures and pave the way for a new hospital, however. He wants to immortalize the architectural history with his camera.

"It's such an important part of Fulton's history, and some of the architecture, we'll never see the likes of that again. Some of it's so well constructed."

Originally majoring in studio art and education, Chapman began taking his hobby of photography more seriously in college when he began shooting his sculptures for his portfolio. After moving to Callaway in 1999 and graduating in 2000, he switched his emphasis to photography full-time and began shooting points of historical and architectural interest in the community, including The National Churchill Museum and several barns in the county.

In October 2012, Chapman went after a more ambitious project.

The Fulton photographer met with FSH Chief Operating Officer Marty Martin-Forman to discuss shooting such a major - and private - part of Fulton's history. Martin-Forman said that she was intrigued by Chapman's focus on history, and not with shooting photos that risk violating client privacy.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.