Comments

is this building still standing? i see you've taken the pics a few years ago?

I recently found a diary written by my husband's grandfather from Nov 1938 to Nov 1939. He was a patient at Manteno from Feb 28, 1938 until Nov 17, 1939. He was being treated for malaria and syphilitic-meningo - encephalitis. Once cured of malaria he received over 65 shots to cure the syphillis. In order to be released back into the population he had to test negative 4 times. He was there during the Typhoid Fever epidemic and was ready to be released when he tested positive as a "carrier" of typhoid. For six months no new patients were admitted and very few patients ready for release were allowed off the grounds. After two more months in the Typhoid ward he tested negative for the 4th time but was still required by law to sign legal documents called "Carrier Agreement" before he could go home. He was asked to have an experimental surgery where live malarie cells would be injected into his brian to possibly cure the syphillis. He decided against the surgery and came back home to Nashville, TN and his wife and six children three grown and three still home. I love the pictures but his diary doesn't describe this hospital as a hell on earth. The doctors and nurses were caring people doing the best they could for these patients. Mental illness research was just beginning and he does mention the cold & hot baths as a treatment of unruly patients, and that it seemed to work in most cases.

Both my mom and dad worked here, my dad longer then my mom. He worked there something like 30 years before he retired and then we had moved to Northern Maine. When I was a teen I remember my dad taking me back down to Mass and we would always stop at Danvers State and dad would catch up with a few of the guys he worked with, that were still there.

Can I ask why are there ladders? Surely the inmates weren't moved around up and down them? :)

man. how can people defile old relics filled with memories and beauty with cheap giggles and graffity.

man this place is comin down fast.

ive always wanted to see a picture of one of those. thanks.

It's ashame to see all these ships sitting around and rotting although on the other hand it's pretty cool!!!

Wow... I vote wallpaper on this one!

And why not??

Nice. i live near there, i can go to it. a great part of the country

ooh, 20 bucks on ebay, here i come

All I can say is Ah hah aha hah hah hah hah(breathe)hah haha hah.

door number one... vanity
door number two...clinical depression
what's behind door three? Massive gambiling debts?