4,081 Comments for Norwich State Hospital

There appears to be something printed on the glass in the doors. Do you happen to know what it was?

That woodwork is absolutely beautiful. It appears that much detail was put into the construction of this facility - a stately, powerful design. The design of these exit passages on each side of the stage is interesting. With the open, flat areas on top, it looks like it would be an ideal location for placing loudspeakers for a sound system.

This is a pretty good sized stage lighting switchboard/dimmerboard. The dimmers were most likely manufactured by the Superior Electric Co. (judging by the style of the handles) and equipped with a rack and pinion assembly coupled to the large handles extending through the front panel. It looks like there could be two or three rows of these dimmers. There also appear to be longer handles connected to shafts, to which dimmers can be coupled (by rotating each handle to one side) to couple them together in order to operate several dimmers at one time. There also appear to be breaker or fuse panels at the far edge of the board as well. A study of the labels on those breaker panels, as well as the labels above the dimmer handles, would provide interesting information as to what kinds of lighting equipment were in use here. I've spent a good deal of my life working with these things in Elementary, Junior High, High School, and College. It's a shame to leave these things behind, but at least they have not been mutilated or destroyed so that people can appreciate them for what they are , study them, and take photographs of them to share with others, as you have so graciously done.

One Question, dear Motts. Did you find any evidence of a counterweight system or sandbag (hemp) system for flying pipe battens containing curtains, lighting equipment, or scenery in this theater?

Looks like a room they used for group ECT!

Back in the day it was allowed...probably encouraged to chemically "restrain" patients as they were easier to care for then. The lobotomy was also a popular procedure. The residents in our old facility were taken outside every day for air...it was considered part of their therapy. Even the bed-ridden ones were wheeled out for their 15 minutes of fresh air.

Patients were easier to moniter in groups and as over-crowding took over, partitions and dividers just took up unnecessary room that they could use to stuff people in.

Yeah, what is that grate behind the chair...an airduct? And what is that in the upper right corner...a door or window?

Psych patients often draw their dreams...or their nightmares...

Amen, Canada! Maybe they were put there as inspiration?

The straps on the first mattress could have been used to tie the mattress down. Also, they could have run restaint straps through it?

My grandma had a tufted couch like that...kinda scratchy. Definately not regulation psych furniture. I love the ratty sheers hanging on the windows.

They used to paint/stain around a carpet or runner to save money. In some houses, they even used to put cheaper wood in the hardwood floor where the rug went.

I can't believe no one has started singing "Stairway to Heaven"!

How many people would you guess this house could seat? It's an enormous auditorium!

I agree Matt, another Ned Kelly shot!