3,698 Comments Posted by Motts

Actually the top door was removed; it looked just like the others but it was used as an access point to service the refrigeration units up top.

As far as a viewing area, I would guess you are speaking of autopsy theaters... they were far and few between in psychiatric hospitals, I have only seen one in Byberry State, and another in a non-psychiatric facility. They were used so medical students and colleagues could safely observe autopsies being performed in a large group, as opposed to being in a cramped morgue like this one.

I haven't seen too many... http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/rinaldi/bannermancat.htm

- the name of the island :-)

It's an asbestos mask.

I don't remember seeing much else other than this whole wing that was sealed off.

I'm not sure if it was anything therapeutic or useful, perhaps it was just a nice design to break up the monotony of the long halls.

More information about the burial grounds and how you can help can be found at the Danvers State Memorial Committee website: http://dsmc.info

If you think condos are bad, plans are to turn another old state hospital site into an amusement park!

I think many people in this wing or even this hospital were geriatric, so maybe they would still have belongings from these eras.

Yes, I try to stay as far away as possible though.

Yeah, that's why I kinda hurried up shooting this place... it wasn't easy to get into at all either, so it is very strange indeed.

Avalon Bay plans to re-use the central 1/3 of the Kirkbride building for apartments; everything else will be razed for condos (except the cemetaries).

Tanya, I would guess 14 years since it closed...

Aliester, thanks! I have quite a few photos to go through, and one basement room of a state hospital disturbed me greatly, perhaps one of those photos would be the most unnerving to me. I think the child's wheelchair in the playroom at Pennhurst would be the saddest to me: http://www.opacity.us/image2236.htm

I really don't know on this one... I don't think anyone else was in that wing when I took the photo.

It was a large envelope, blank and empty.

These places were built with the patient's well being thought of first and foremost... rural campuses, well ventilated buildings and wide open spaces were considered to be important factors in treating psychotic disorders.

Built before modern lighting and plumbing, many pipes and wires needed to be retrofitted into these old buildings, and rather than place drop ceilings in, they were left exposed (thank god - drop ceilings look terrible).