1,927 Comments for Pilgrim State Hospital

I love the contrast of the red on the stairs to the dull gray of everything else.

i actually saw this perfectly preserved in one of the rooms

Very representative of this place.

In reference to all the "Andrews, Jasons, and Biggs out there:

People tend to perform these type of acts in order to make themselves feel important and "big". This can either be in private or in a group in order to fit in. All are attempts to feed their ego and to abate their own insecurities. These type of activities however only lead to a short-lived "high". These particular type of actions rarely lead to the gaining of any actual respect that matters. I for one don't care how good of a person you appear to be otherwise. Apparently you are not as you do not see what is wrong with this vandalism. I hope you have gotten the little bit of attention here that you obviously can't get any other way. You certainly didn't gain any respect here.

I have respect for Motts as he expresses himself and gains attention and respect without breaking and destroying things. He leaves things as they were and yet still has managed to make his mark on the world with his wonderful pieces of photography.

They have the appearance of stately owls.

I climbed my favorite tree as high as I could. "mom, what is that strange building out there?" "That's where I work ,I'ts pilgram". "N000, I mean the one with the strange roof way out there". "oh that's Edgwood, It was a TB hospital,you had to be a certain age to work there, I never went back." "well I did. Diane and I went on our bikes. I wanted to look out the top window thinking that if I was brave enough to be in that scary place in its' highest window, I'd never be afraid of anything again. As if escaping fear would solve all problems. After two steps, a glance to the left of a pitch-black windowless room with an 8" freezer-like door and a most powerful fear that could have said..."don't go in...,["just in case"],I never went back. This was 1976. If I was as brave as I was when my rode tour friends and I (T-P'd) the streets and tore up the orange groves in 79 Ca. And if I knew what I know now I would either be dead or in jail. I shda cuda wuda documented and photographed everything in site. History is here now. It's being able to recognize it in it's present purity that takes talent. It is wonderful to know there are people like me who wonder in amazment and posses a childlike curiosity to ruins, Art-Deco,scary things and the macabe. peace.

matt- who has been there like a 100 times, can you please contact me or anyone elso who has actually been there. emcee0520@yahoo.com Please, please please contact me!

i am a nursing student and i will be doing my psych clinical rotation at pilgrim i can't wait

*In most states autopsies are only done when the person dies under "unexpected conditions" and/or when the family requests it. If a diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease had been made, even if it hadn't been made before the person entered the hospital, in most cases this would then be considered an "expected" death. Arteriosclerotic heart disease is highly associated with cardiac arrest. Therefore it would be up to the coroner and/or the family to request an autopsy. Don't know if this was the case with your grandmother.
*As an FYI, EVERYONE dies from lack of oxygen. -> "Biological death: This is when permanent cellular damage occurs to the brain due to a lack of oxygen. By definition, this process is irreversible and final."
*Regarding the diagnosis of "dysthymic disorder", it is unusual to be in a psychiatric ward for dysthymia as opposed to depression or bipolar disorder, unless the person is there voluntarily.

Note...my Grandmother is the mother to my mother. The one who put down the name ??????.

I found out the other day that my Grandmother may have been murdered here. She was diagnosed with Cardiorespiratory arrest, Arteriosclerotic heart disease, and a Dysthymic disorder. She never had these problems before. There was never an autopsy done on her body which says a lot since that is illegal. She was most likely killed by lack of oxygen. Perhaps suffocation. Also the time of deat is wrong. Apparently, the ospital called my Grandfather at 9:43 P.M. and told him she was dead. On the death certificate, the time of death is 11:05. Hmmmm. It makes me so angry, sad, and freaked out. Imagine how scary it must've been for other patients. There were a bunch of unexplained death's for a long period of time. Scary stuff.

Great before and after shots, very interesting. I love the wood in that bookshelf, it's very beautiful looking and it must have been a pleasant room to study in "back in the day".

This is for janet...i don't know if your going to get this or anyone who would know. But theres a building by an enternce and a exit. That building me and my friends were there. my boyfriend saw a window opened and something told him a person jumped out the 3rd story. I would like to know how i can find out more information about that.....maybe even the guys name....anyone who can help me......my email is oconnors986@hotmail.com

Thank you very much
-Stephanie

The pic from the 70's, and those students were about 18-21 years old, so that makes them in their late 40's-50's. Of course Many are alive!

I like how the green is very light, not like a full color green.