Comments

And by all, I mean people.

I can see them all, about five of them in the middle of the room, and one in the arch.

Might get my mum to have a look on this site, she sees things in photographs too.

I find yellow very calming... My driving instructor always tells me that I drive a bit like a maniac, so I tend to wear something yellow when I go for my lessons.

Yes, I am strange, but it helps me!

Ooh, how strange... I really like this one.

The colours used on the walls in this hospital aren't very calming either, I've noticed.

I don't know how to thank you for putting these photos up on the Web. These artful and haunting images -- every single one of them -- touch me on a very personal level,. For, you see, my own German-American father (d.1981) was committed to Broadacres twice in the 1930s and 40s with adult TB. He lived there for a cumulative total of maybe 3 yrs or more, and my mother tells me she visited him there daily. All of this happened long before I was born, and lately I've been trying to reconstruct pieces of my father's distant past. The pictures you've posted are an enormous help!
FYI, I have good scans of several old photos of my father at Broadacres, and of course I have the original prints. If at all interested, you can email me at cnill@live.com.

Back in the early 80's, this was the meeting hall for my boy scout troop. It was huge and quite nice. There were seats in the balcony, but there were no fixed seats on the main floor, it seemed like it could double as a gymnasium (probably did). Back then it was still old, but in good shape. It's a shame to see how dilapidated it has become.

Is this the building closest to Lawrence Ave? I used to go to the elementary school that was on the border of the grounds of that building. San Remo elementary, which was on Lawrence Ave.. This was back in the late 70's and early 80's. I also attended Wm. T. Rogers Jr. High which was also on the grounds of the hospital. Occasionally some of the patients would enter the elementary school grounds and there would be a big to do about bringing them back to the hospital. I remember the teachers at the elementary school trying to explain mental illness to us every time one of the patients came on the grounds.
Later in Jr. High School, I would ride my bicycle through the grounds to get home. The grounds were beautiful. And I hardly remember any patients walking the grounds. With all the old buildings it felt more like a college than a psychiatric facility. When I heard the hospital was closing I always thought the buildings and grounds would make a great university. That is until I heard about the asbestos. My family still lives in KP near what is left of the hospital. I know that most of the town wants something done with the land, but there is so much debate about it, it'll be another 20 years before anything is done.

too all those people who suffered the stuff done to them and those who have family may they rest in peace and there soles be lifted and brought to heaven . i had family work there . it is very unpleasent thing to see. :(
im very intrested in this as well as many others. so sorry for all those stuff and things that where done . people are so rude and have NO HEART WHAT SO EVER! those are the people who desrve to be exicuted and or put in jail for the REST OF THERE LIFE. harshfullness :(

for some reason every time i look at that chair i get chills down my spin and i feel sick to my stumick! i feel so sorry for what those kids had to go through. im just more glade that i wasnt one of them (not to be rude or selfish) Im 15 and if that happened to me i would stay there and hunt down anyone or anything that caused me pain while i was trapped in that hell hole

Noname,
Explain to me how you got in there on 7/28/2010, because the building is fenched off and there is a locked door on ther front of the building , and also there are no locked doors inside of the building, I have been on every floor and every ward and every room, and when they closed the building. the took all the locls off the doors so people couldn't get locked in any of the rooms and suffocate and die....

no tat u Merc24

To All
I just wanted to let you know that Gaebler is coming down this week, I just went there today and the company Testa in Wakefield,Ma got the contract to demolish on 7/15/2010. THey have a locked door on the front of the building now and a fench around the whole building, and they have already done a lot of work, not to the building but, like all the poles and things outside have been taken down and there are piles and piles of sebris from the inside of the building that has been taken out of the building. So, IU am assuming that the building will be down this week, cause they are working pretty fast. I am very mad that the fact that I can't get back in there. I have been in there quite a lot this year and a month ago. I wanted to go back to see more of it and go downstairs to the basement but, now i can't, so I am now going to email channel 5, The Daily News Tribune Paper and see if I can't somehow be able to be there when it does go down this week, I feel I have to do something, that by them taking it down without me and any other kids who were patients there and treated like crap and abused don't get to get the clousure that we all deserve. It's the least the state can do, since the state owns the building not the city of Waltham,Ma. I will let you all know if I get anywhere....

Rekrats: The patient who melted is a true story.
http://www.danversstat...um.com/preston3.html

No one cares about people in asylums. I live in Central Europe and my grandmother has been locked up twice for attempted suicide. I was only allowed to visit once, but it was awful. You get people who are really ill (like they "go" in their underwear and so) and people who are violent and people who suffer from severe depression all in one room, the psychs bring alcohol to the alcoholics' ward and when they bring new patiens, they have lie in the hall in institutional robes (here it means all back naked and sometimes private parts too). I cannot understand why that is happening. I mean, yes, they are "crazy" but they are human too and they deserve to be treated like human beings.
BTW the photos are beautiful.

motts do u update ur work???????