81 Comments Posted by DONNA

Thank you for your fascinating photos Motts. I just discovered your site because I was checking out info on Springfield. I viewed these photos in a very different light because my younger brother was hospitalized here in the early 80's after being diagnosed as bipolar. All of my memories of this place have a very dark feeling because of all he went thru here and his struggle with this disease started here and lasted his entire life. He just passed away two months ago at age 60 but his last 15 years were stable with his own apartment and a long term job. He and us, his family, went thru hell here but it was also the beginning of him finding how to live his life the best way he could.

Creepy!!!

Rosalyn, I am sure your mother went through hell there, I feel that was why my grandmother only worked there for such a short time as a nurse. It is true that all types of young and old people resided in these institutions from a runaway (as was your mom), people not able to hear, too many children to take care of, to disabled .... I have always thought that it was the employees that needed to be let go and hire competent people to take care of these folks and not be rid of the idea of a community to be gone. A lot of the folks that lived in them in later years actually had more freedom on grounds than in everyday society, now, some are in gorgeous homes but are actually prisoners in their homes no independence to walk on public sidewalks due to the public"s opinions of the disabled.and need to be escorted everywhere.. ( not all homes are like that though, some do have more independence than others )So I guess I am saying I want to apologize for your mom's treatment there and wish I could've known her but an open mind about some of those communities and the good that COULD have resulted from them if having competent, caring, and ,compassionate people there to help them then maybe a much different outcome could have been for your family ... We all learn from our mistakes...please try not to be bitter, but I do understand why you may be.

I would love to see this building, my grandmother worked there as a nurse in'22 and '23 she was raised in Belchertown. Wish I could find her time card again...found it once and it was confirmed by a worker there before it closed, of course I lost it somehow :( but it was my only proof that she worked with my grandfather and bore two children from him ...oh well, guess some things are better off lost

I imagine it was a lot better in the times of use, what is this fascination I have of all old architecture and institutions that I find a thirst for ... Just weird I guess...

It's so, so sick to see that helpless children and grown children,(but still mentally children) and some very normal people were abused so badly. Unfortunately , abuse, nasty talk, spankings, yelling, silent abuse, neglect, ignoring, no empathy.it goes on everyday in some form all around us. People choose to ignore it. Please pray for the children and volunteer at group homes if given the chance. Speak up about abuse...

Dude there's a face and body in your picture looks like he is standing with his arms crossed the face is between the two lights at the bottom of the page and if you look a little further down it looks like he's standing there with is arms crossed Crazy cool pic

Much appreciated for the information and share!

Dawn, I believe many probably were raped and abused but in the later years things changed there. As for Geraldo? I worked in that very building he went to and showed on tv. I worked with that resident they showed naked. Her name was Iris and no one could keep any clothes on her as much as we tried. She always stripped her clothes off and would constatnly rock, it wasn't because she was being neglected. We had to go as far as actually tying a jumpsuit from the back on her to keep clothes on her. All the residents wore diapers because they were severely retarded. Geraldo made a name for himself with this whole thing while looking at these residents with disgust. Geraldo is a slimeball!!!

Letchworth was a great place to work when I was there. I started in 75 and was there for years. It probably does have horror stories from the past but when I was there it wasn't like that. I was also there when Geraldo came for a visit and what an act he put on! Talk about a media whore! When one of the residents put their hand out to him you should have seen the look of disgust on his face. We took good care of them, brought them on trips and even to out own homes and I worked in one of the worst buildings where they were severely retarded. We were a family there and really bonded with the residents there. Many miss this place and relationships that were formed and never forgotten!

Wow! This brings back memories! I worked there as a clerk partime when I was in High School! Delivered mail throughout the hospital. Anyone remember Dr. Padial? Walter Brown the X-Ray tech? Those were the days in the hospital especially when it was packed with the new employees getting their physicals!!!!

Hey loinglostinGeorgia, I worked in Letchworth and was one of those therapy aids and I wasn't abusive!!! And you must have had a bad record from working there if you couldn't find a job after working there. Only bad reputations follow the individual employee not the whole crew!

Is this the Storres Building (hospital)? I worked there when I was in HS partime as a clerk. Read all the historys of the patients. Very very interesting. That was back in 75.

I agree Ira. I worked there for years too. Alot of great memories and so many people to remember.

Hey Timmothy Jones! I worked there for many years and knew Bruno! He could also sing every Hank Williams song! The poor guy died a few years ago. He was one of the misfortunes whose parents just dumped him there because of how he looked. Bruno was not mentally retarded when he was put there but being there all his life had an impact on him. He sure knew all the dirt on all employees and even the higher ups there! Alot of people were dumped there if they were blind, deaf or had anything wrong with them by their parents.