What Little Remains

The skies were gray and a light rain was falling when we arrived at Manteno; I knew there wasn't going to be much to see here except for one building, but it was worth the trip. Driving past the newly renovated administration building was disheartening, knowing I was just a little too late to see this place in its full glory, however it was nice to see they kept so much of the original campus. The wards were either being used or in a strange state of decay but with new windows and doors... all except one in the back. It stuck out like a sore thumb to us even though it was hidden behind 20 years of overgrowth - I believe it was the Morgan cottage.

It was a small H-shaped cottage, cleaned out fairly well except for the two hydrotherapy rooms - a very interesting arrangement of four tubs in a rather small room. They looked to be continuous bath units, and everything was covered in words painted in black lettering, describing a patient named Gennie - the remnants of a photo essay called the Gennie Messages, by Kristyn Vinikour. The other tub room has been painted a solid gold, although I'm not sure if it is also related to this same project. Seeing these rooms in person was definitely a highlight of this trip!