4,224 Comments for Northampton State Hospital

What was inside?

I'll take 1976...

Its amazing that these beautiful places were ever abandoned in the first place. Have you ever thought of a trip to Povilia, Italy? ((im sorry if i spelled that wrong))

Nope, it's still hanging there, but it will inevitable fall with the building's impending demolition.

motts, thank you, your site is so important, these pix are so moving and your photography is masterful! plus, credit due to the unspeakable beauty of the place itself. i don't know why i never went in to explore, lots of friends did, though. i did venture into one house, ( john mac, maybe you would know it, more towards the river in the woods, almost a ranch style? on hospital hill side, i mean the sledding part of the hill). the floor was warped like ocean waves & we heard probably what was a racoon & left...
i used to sit in the shadow of those buildings for hours in summer w/ sketchbook and snacks. & camera- it was so quiet, and eerie too, in bright sun. i love that place. my mom taught me to drive there. my friends were arrested there. another friend used to be a resident there. ah, the memories!
"would that this odd dreamscape be preserved, impractical as it may seem, as a living museum of the element of uncertainty-- a reminder for those who find it helpful to be reminded that we are never really in control of our lives."
sorry for the schmucky prose, but i wrote it about NSH for an essay assignment. highly romanticized, my apologies to those in human services & those who experienced the real deal, it's purely from an artistic observer perspective.
does anyone remember suntan man, chief joe 3 hats, or beauford? i believe they have all passed on. and unfortunately i believe many folks only knew them by those monikers... altho beauford's name was beauford. all guys who were let go when the hospital started closing.
i've not been back since the demo started cuz it's hard to watch things change.
thanks motts
do you know about the olmstead house at jamaica pond in jamaica plain, boston? please come & shoot it, i think it's coming down soon.

What the hell it looks like blood. SWEET!!!

That's one nice radiator.

What's a Pire Door?

Wow look at all the people wanting to say farewell.

This picture is absolutely amazing! Its unbelievable!

The lighting is beautiful.

This photo is so cool. Did the fireplace fall yet?

The spider webs look so cool at the ends. The chair looks like it belongs in a haunted house.

Awesome photo! The color of the lighting made it look great. Poor little lonely chair.

Wow!! That's one pretty little window. It makes the photo beautiful because of the window and its reflection.