1,384 Comments for Gaebler Children's Center

Aww... This brings back wonderfully fond memories of when the family psychiatrist decided it would be BENEFICIAL for me to spend some time in a childrens MENTAL ASYLUM WHEN I WAS 7! HAHA I'm OK

To Ward D patient,
You are so right, it really was the staff that made that place and a horror place at that, they treated us children and yes we were just children like we were mentally unstable and were a menace to society, I don't know how they live with themselves but, I believe what goes around comes around and they will get what is coming to them someday if it hasn't already happened....

Yeah, I was there in the early 70s and your taxes paid for it.

This is what adult humans do to adolesence humans.

The staff that made the Gaebler Children's Center exist
should be living with a lot guilt for making it function.
The staff were more a part it than the building itself.

Thanks Motts for fixing my name screw up...I appreciate it....I suck at this computer stuff......

Your welcome! : )

Thanks Marie :-)

Hey Mista' Motts! ; ) Thank you for "fixing" the typo. Not only are you a gifted artist of photography, but also a wiz at computer programming. I know that I make a lot of jokes about being a "Luddite" and lovin' those old, analog ways, but, truly, I do admire your talent for putting this website together so creatively. I especially love the way you made it soooo easy to post comments; and how great it is to see all our former posts by clicking our names. Good job, Mista' Motts!

@Pookie, Former Patient-That's OK about the typo-you never know about computers; sometimes strange things happen! Give me a pencil and paper, the old fashioned way, any day! : )

I'm sorry that so many of you former residents at the Gaebler went through such awful times. It should have been a place of healing, not hurt. I am a Certified Music Therapist (CMT), and have worked with many populations of clients, including psychiatric patients. One of my internships was at McClean Hospital in Belmont, MA-this was a very good facility that truly cared for its residents. I really wished that I could have been a Music Therapist at the Gaebler, because I really wanted to help you all! Please know that, in my heart, I would have liked to provide a caring, therapeutic environment for all of you! May God Bless you! : )

Marie ,
The message that was just posted on 7/5/2010 was from me, I am sorry, I don't know how your name got on it that you posted it sorry again. And I have been inside there quite a few times and took lots of pictures and OMG!! I can't believe all the things that I have seen, it's friggin scary, the place is trashed, and there are rooms that I never knew about, can't believe we had to endure such a life, we weren't patients as my husband would say we were inmates & victims...

I live in Waltham and I was also a patient at Gaebler, I go by it all the time,, it was not a fun place to be at or anything that helped heal us children, we were mentally and physically abused and treated like we were nothing, so getting out of there was the best thing for everyone who has ever been a patient there, and now that they are at some point going to take the building down, can only now help us heal. I believe that are going to be putting up condo's or townhouse or both, that is what Waltham does when they tear down a mental institition, they did it to a cronically ill and mentally ill place like 30 seconds up the hill, I forget the name of it, but, that is now all townhouses. But, I don't know if us patients/kids will ever be able to have complete clousure even thou the building will be torn down, but,as usual Waltham is taking thier time. I hope that your stay there was better than mine....

Dennis,
Thanks, I didn't think the DQ was still there, but just wanted to check.

Pookie, sent you a message on facebook.

@Boiler 1220-Do you know what the city is going to do with the land once the Gaebler is gone?

Marie
After all the stuff there. I think it was a good life experience. A lot of us are so strong now.

@Boiler 1220-Wow, it's amazing that they are finally taking it down. You're right, the asbestos is a real problem. It's too bad that the building couldn't be rehabed into a new and more therapeutic facility for children with competent staff, including caring music and art therapists. It's a shame that you and your friends had to deal with such incompetent staff. It should have been a place of healing and building up the spirit of the person, not the tearing down. I pray for all of you that God touches His healing hand upon you always.

@Boiler 1220-It must have been fun to play that piano and reminisce the good times of being together. I love that tiger that is painted in the background-I can't get it out of my mind. It probably reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten, and I used to love to draw tigers. I drew them all the time in class and drew them well-it gave me confidence since I was a very shy child. The teacher got mad at me since I only drew tigers, but what she didn't realized is that it was a confidence booster for me in a new classroom setting. I have always loved to draw. Today, I love to draw portraits, since I find the human face so fascinating! : )