3,287 Comments for Danvers State Hospital

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'LL KILL THEM ALL FOR TAKING DOWN THE J&I WARDS ALONG WITH THE SPIRES AND ALL THE NURSES HOMES ,ECT

I FREAKIN HATE AVALON BAY OUR FRIGGIN' GOVERMENT SUCKS THEY SHOULD PROTECT THE WHOLE BUILDING NOT JUST THE KIRKBRIDE WHICH IS GREAT THAT THEY'RE SAVING THAT BUT WHAT THE HELL THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE SOLD DANVERS STATE HOSPITAL

Motts... what was this thing used for?

PS. I live in Italy, and near my house there's a giant Military Hospital built by Maria Teresa of Austria and closed between the two world wars, I think... You'd like it so, so much!

The developer has agreed to "save" the center core of the Kirkbride building. The entire complex is designated historical, but the engineers deemed it all unsafe. But, to show good faith Avalon Bay will restore the Kirkbride building, so they say. I will make a prediction. Once they get into the supposed restoration they will bitch and moan about how it's rotten and falling apart and will cost more than 4 times what they projected to restore.
Then I predict the wrecking ball will finish it off. When my son went in there he said the floors were all caved in from the third floor all the way to the basement. It was just a shell hanging on by a thread. Basically the place is waiting to fall into itself.
If the wrecking ball doesn't do the job, it just may implode into itself from heavy equipment moving around it, and that's that. But, if the developer does it right and shores up the building from the inside before removing the wings directly to each side, it should not cave in.
Time will tell lets see what happens.
To answer your other question, yes the whole hill is haunted. People were buried all the time in unmarked graves, and the graves that are marked are by a small block of granite with a number on it. Those markers are all overgrown. I hear the list of deceased owners of the numbers is lost long ago.
The hill was self-sufficient with a working farm and dairy. And you figure the first 50 years the hospital existed there was no electricity; they hat it rough. The souls of adults and children who worked and died on the farm still persist to occupy their territory.
Not to mention all the mental illness' living hell pre-medication, that the patients suffered since 1860's. In that newspaper article the developer said people will be pleased with what they see. He said it will be so much different for townspeople to look up and not see the castle, but instead cookie-cutter condo's and apartments. And the lives of all lost during the construction back when horses and cars lugged the Danversport clay brick up that hill and masons layed one brick at a time. I shutter to say how haunted it is up there.
Let's hope the spirits are not angry or those new condo owners and apartment renters will never have a good night's sleep ! Bob
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Being in there gave me the chance to really see what these people went through. No question that something of the paranormal lurked the halls.

Great place... Its a shame they would ruin something so eery and beautiful.

this hospitle is mad creepy. you peeps rock out loud. go dudes im out,
bye homie dog G-UNIT

I was born in 1979, feb 05

Back in the late 60's the tunnel led to the cafe as someone described. I remember a huuuuggggge cockroach along the way. Oh well, guess they had to eat too.

I remember this place. It was scary, and painful to be there and it took a long time to get well there. Thought I would never get out or well. When I landed there I thought "I've never seen a place like this ever anywhere". I am reminiscing as I peer through these true to life pictures.

Thank you, Dr. Sketch. There was no need to apologize. I suppose I can't blame you for your reaction, especially if you're used to people not having the facts. This is my first time on a site like this. I'm truly mesmerized by the photos & all the comments of everyone. I should've clarified my wishes regarding a memorial of some sort. I was referring to the 768 unmarked graves on the grounds of the hospital. Those souls who were disrespected & forgotten make me want to cry.

I should throw in that I misread "tortured souls" to mean you thought they were being tortured by the docs, not tortured by their own minds... Sorry again!

Sorry if I came across sounding harsh, we're all just so used to people coming in not knowing what they're talking about...

You make very good points, and point out something that Lynne used to spend hours on her soapbox about: the people working there weren't "bad" people, they were understaffed, underfunded, and overcrowded. They did the best they could with what they had, and in many cases used their personal time and money to help as well.

I don't want to see these buildings destroyed. I'm not sure that making them a memorial to what was wrong is the right thing to do either. I think it's important to remember where we came from, but just as important to remember how much better things are now... What really keeps me up late at night is wondering: if we hadn't gone through the bad treatments that we did, where would we be now? Would we have the improved treatment of patients, and better methods? I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to... I just try to always remember that things are a lot better now, not as good as they will be, but the constant factor is that the staff always cares...

I appreciate your response, Dr. Sketch. I can assure you I'm not basing my comments on rumours. My aunt worked at DSH as a nurse for a while. My sister was placed there in the early 70's as part of a day program. She had first-hand experience & fortunately, was treated well. I applied for a job at DSH as a direct care worker. I changed my mind after my interview was concluded. All the times I had been there, the walls were in terrible disarray, it was cold as hell & the stench was impossible to get use to. Most of the patients were treated as numbers & as chattel. However, most of the staff truly cared about them. But the overcrowding & lack of funds put tremendous strain on those involved. Shortly thereafter, I worked as a direct care worker at a state hospital , Hogan Regional Center which was just next door to DSH. I met many employees there who had worked at DSH & were witness to a number of "highly questionnable" treatments of patients. I loved the patients at Hogan. But I discovered I wasn't the kind of person who could detach myself from them. My heart got too involved & as a result, I quit the job. When you work for a state-run institutionalized hospital, there's much frustration at the lack of care the state actually has for patients. That was something I couldn't get use to & therefore, had to leave. I have tremendous appreciation for those select direct care employees who are able to work with only their heads & not their hearts. But who needs more heartfelt attention, care & yes, love, than the patients at these places? So many of them have been abandoned by their own families. Where does the real caring end & the "mechanized" begin? Personally, I have great difficulty distinguishing between the two.