This building, or the way it's depicted in the photo, looks very collegiate. Maybe something from Harvard or another Ivy League institution. It almost looks like it could still be in use.
What a waste of perfectly good books! Granted that they are somewhat dated, but they could've been extricated from the buildings when they were abandoned and donated to some schools that don't have a lot of money. There's no sense in leaving them there to rot in a forgotten heap. How sad.
The building and its surroundings really do look dead. The sky looks so vibrant and blue, and the building and the growth surrounding it looks so tired and wasted.
That story sounds like something that happened at a lot of state schools while they were in operation. I know, at least at the Fernald State School in Waltham, MA, the same thing happened. No one was ever allowed on the back wards because the conditions were so horrendous.
I think Pennhurst is so fascinating. I have some family that lives in Royersford, and I'd love to go visit them and see Pennhurst.
As far MARMAR's comment is concerned, there could be patient records hidden behind those bolted doors. I'm sure that the institution never fully emptied itself of all its records. Instead of spending the effort to actually remove the records, they probably just put them all in one room and locked the door so that when explorers inevitably came 'round, they didn't stumble upon the records and tell someone in an authority position.
Something about this photo and about the hallway/ward it depicts reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Even though the thought of being in a seclusion ward is horrifying, this touches me somewhere and I can't explain it. I feel like I've been there before, many times.
Those wooden supports, I think, just add to the drama of the building in all of its abandonment. I'm glad they put for the effort to try and salvage it, but at the same time, how much effort could hoisting some beams and putting up a chainlink fence take?