▁which ▁attract ed ▁thousands ▁to ▁Europe . ▁American ▁cities ▁t ended ▁to ▁off end ▁the ▁sensitive ▁with ▁u g lin ess ▁and ▁commercial ism ▁rather ▁than ▁insp ire ▁a we ▁or ▁a est h etic ▁pleasure . ▁Some ▁tour ists ▁were ▁fasc in ated ▁by ▁the ▁rapid ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁urban ▁areas : ▁" It ▁is ▁an ▁absor bing ▁thing ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁world - making ; ▁both ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁and ▁the ▁conventional ▁world ," ▁wrote ▁English ▁writer ▁Har ri et ▁Mart ine au ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 . ▁ ▁As ▁American ▁cities ▁developed , ▁new ▁institutions ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁and ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁ins ane , ▁disabled ▁and ▁criminal ▁were ▁constructed . ▁The ▁Hart ford , ▁Connecticut ▁American ▁School ▁for ▁the ▁De af ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁O ss ining , ▁New ▁York ▁state ▁prison ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Sing ▁Sing ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁State ▁Pen it enti ary ▁at ▁W eth ers field ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁Mount ▁A ub urn ▁C emetery ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁the ▁Per kins ▁School ▁for ▁the ▁Bl ind ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁Wor c ester ▁State ▁Hospital ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁ ▁These ▁institutions ▁attract ed ▁the ▁curiosity ▁of ▁American ▁and ▁foreign ▁visitors . ▁The ▁English ▁writer ▁and ▁actress ▁F anny ▁K emble ▁was ▁an ▁adm ir er ▁of ▁the ▁American