1,384 Comments for Gaebler Children's Center

Daron,
2 nd floor, turn left, that is A Ward, but, like I said, it was used for a daycare during the day. They brought little kids in during the day and they stayed there, it was a daycare.
At night it was empty.
And if they needed extra room for seclusion, you was placed in here.

John, wow, thanks for all that. It was amazing and it will be very helpful. So the hallway on the second floor to the left is A ward? And it was mostly for solitery? That makes sense. Thanks so much. We'll go back some time soon and I'll post a link with some pictures if Motts doesn't mind. They won't be pretty or fancy, but they'll be pictures, lol.

Hi all, its been a while since I posted.

I was in here from aug 88- nov 90. Looking for old freinds from ward D.

In NYC at the moment... yes I remember there was a caged off area in the center basement, which seemed to be last used for file storage - many Gaebler letterheads and other kinds of stationary were left behind in piles, some still in plastic.

The rest of the basement was a crawl space that ran under the two wings, with not much to see.

If memory serves correct, there is a chain link fence down in the basement that closed off an area of the tunnel.
I'm pretty sure of it.

Hi Motts,
Sounds like your in Worster? Or Springfield?
You have been in there Motts, and I'm sure some where along the way you traveled that route to an extent.
I doubt if you get in from the main lobby area, like we did when it was open, the lobby just had candy machines and soda machines, (LOL, Almost used POP, Have to remember it's called Soda in MA, )
Offices on the left hand side, only 3 or 4 offices though, Mr. Heathwood's office was the first or second office on the left, then the door into the place.

Hi Allyssa,
no problem, I don't mind answering questions.
If you have questions, please ask them.

I'd love to head in there and follow your tour, taking photos all the way... if only Waltham wasn't so far away

it's amazing, I still remember the layout of all the places I have been in, from Wellington Hall, to this place, to Devereux, RFK, kolburne etc, I still remember, but yet, I couldn't tell you what I had for lunch yesterday. LOL.

That's about it for my tour. The 4th floor has classrooms and medical on it.
Not too bad for someone who hasn't been there in 22 or 23 years. And not too bad for remembering the layout of B Ward, and that has been 34 or 35 years ago.
Not too shabby if I say so myself.

Leave the area and return to the stairwell. Go up the next flight of stairs. To your left is E Ward. To your right is B Ward.
The only place I have been on E Ward is the Seclusion rooms that are on the right hand side just before you enter E Ward.
Let's turn right and head down to B Ward.
As you enter B Ward there should be a door to your left, this has a hallway in it and on your right hand side as your walking down this hallway are rooms, these are seclusion rooms.
At the end of this hallway is a single door, this was an office. My room is directly to your right.
When you turn around and leave this hallway, I think the office is directly in front of you.
turn left, and there is a door on your left, this was the bathroom, (Did I leave the bathroom out on D Ward???)
I think there is a door just about opposite the bathroom, I think this was a large room, we slept in here, continue onward, there is a door on your right, this was the room that they had toys in. Continue onward, a water fountain on your left, and a room kiddie corner on your right, this room was used for visitations.
I beleive the rest of the tour here is like D Ward, a shower room on your right just a little bit down the hallway and another room with that stairwell on the left.
We can now enter that and go up to the 4th floor, or return back to the main stairwell and head up that way.

NOTE: When I said to your right was a large room, this was my room? That should be left.
Then the other room to your right

Open the door and step out into the hallway.
To your left is A Ward.
Head in that direction, you will see the door that leads into A Ward. On your left is another door, inside this are 2 Seclusion rooms.
Back When I there, A Ward was used as a Daycare, no one lived on this ward. So the Seclusion rooms is as far as I have been on A Ward.
Turn around and leave A Ward. D Ward is straight ahead of you down the hallway.
As you walk down the hallway, there is a door on your left, this room had a ping pong table in it and that is where we played ping pong. Continue down the hallway, you will come to another door on your left, this room had a pool table in it. Continue down the hallway.
You will now come to a set of double doors, this is the gym.
Explore if you want, to your left there is a door that was used to keep basketballs and roller skates and stuff like that. At the back of the gym, by the stage, there is a door, this leads up to the classrooms on the 4th floor. We're not taken these stairs yet.
On the right hand side of the stage, if memory serves correct, and please correct me if I am wrong, there should be a bathroom here.
I know there is a bathroom back around the stage.
Turn around and leave the gym.
Turn to your left and continue towards D Ward.
Right before you enter D Ward, there is a door on your left, this was the tv room, when you enter here there is a door on your right, middle of the room, this leads into the office.
Turn around and head back out the tv room. Turn left and enter D Ward.
On your left is the door to the office, on your right is a door that leads to 2 Seclusion rooms.
Continue forward, on your right is a doorway, this is a fairly large room, this was where I stayed.
To your right, is another large room, I also stayed in this room, a night during a ligthning storm, the lightning would light up the boston skyline.
Continue down the rest of D Ward, there is a door to your left, this was the bathroom, continue on, a water fountain is on your left, just kiddie corner is a door on your right, this was one of the girls rooms, continue on, a door on your right, this was the shower room.
Continue on, a door on your right, this was another girls room. continue on and a door to your left is another stairwell that takes you to all 4 levels.
But we are not going that way, that way is dull. Nothing of interest that way unless you like to see the bathroom down the ground floor.

From here, since you just left the print and wood shop, the door on your left is the door to the cafeteria.
Enter through this door, on your left is a long steel lunch line.
Follow this around and you enter the main seating area of the cafeteria.
there is a door somewhere to your left that leads outside.
But, turn to your right, and you will see a large brick wall, there is a door in the middle of this wall.
Pass through this door. You are now back in the hallway, turn to your left and follow the hallway until you come to another set of 3 or 4 stairs.
This leads to the area that we had Coffee Hour in on the weekends.
Turn around and head back down the hallway to the stairs.
Enter the stair well.
Going down will take you to the basement, we don't want that area.
Go up 1 flight of stairs and a door is to your right.

Daron,
If you need more details about the layout, I'll try to tell them to you here.
From the main floor, 1st floor, I have to do this from the stair well, because that is how I remember it.
From the door to the stairs, turn around and face the wall directly ahead, door to your back.
Turn to your left, an elevator is next to you. walk forward until to come to 3 or 4 stairs, that lead down to the landing.
A door is now in front of you, with a door to your right.
The door directly in front, was used for classrooms.
When you enter this, on your left was the print shop, to your right was the woodshop. Continue straight ahead, a door to your left was a class that taught knitting.
That is all I remember of that area.
Turn around and go back out the door that you just entered from.