338 Comments for Springfield State Hospital

My grandmother was there from 1932 until her death in the 1960s. It was very pristine in that timeframe and patients were well cared for. My Uncle, her son, tried to bring her home with him, but she couldn’t stand the noise away from the hospital grounds. My Dad was five when she was placed there. There was a financial connection between the old B&O Railroad and the hospital. My family worked for the B&O RR from the 1840s until my nephew switched from CSXT to the passenger line from DC to Baltimore.

I just walked to the Sunny Side Cemetary behind my house. Some cool abandoned buildings back there and one that looks like an old incinerator.

Sorry to hear about the bad stay. I do wonder how often Thorazine was used as a catch-all drug; clearly it helped a lot of people, but of course it cannot work for everyone. Haven't heard about the photo-sensitivity side effect before. Thank you for sharing.

As a former "patient" of Springfield State Hospital these photos are a source of reminiscence of a bad point in my childhood. I was housed in a secure unit with primarily adult patients. My days were spent under the mind numbing haze of thorazine that was administered for the sole purpose of discouraging me from absconding. Running off was the reason I was in Springfield - the juvenile facility I had been in couldn't understand an inmate going AWOL. The thorazine didn't work, but did make me regret running off without adequate clothing. Thorazine caused extreme photosensitivity, so I wound up with really bad sunburns.

Ralph, Motts, took this picture. He owns & runs this site, that we all enjoy so much.

I'd love to be able to talk to whoever took this picture.

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.

Hyvät sävyt ja värit kuvassa. Teemaa voisi vaikka vähän syventää. :)

I was so fascinated by these photos, to think my mom God rest her soul worked there for several years in the late 40's and early 50's some of stories she has told us over the years as we aged are so shocking. Would love to be able to tour this building.

They were NOT hangers for planters... There was nothing pleasant about this place when it was active.

I was a student nurse from Church Home and Hospital there in the 70's we stayed in a building on the property there for 3 months women's locked ward no longer there due to asbestos and men's open ward columns were there and still are

Thank you for answering my comment.

Thanks, you may want to find out who owns the property and contact them to get permission to access the site.

Very nice gallery Mr. Motts. I am part of a paranormal team from Gettysburg. How would one go about getting permission to do an investigation here?

You are very creative with you lighting love it something not taught anymore since digital came along.