This video takes us inside a partially abandoned state psych and forensic hospital that opened its doors way back in 1879. Becca and I explored this hospital and filmed this video back in 2017. We always wanted to go back and reshoot this video but we never got to do so before she passed away. The approximately 143 year-old hospital had an enclosed campus type setting, measured at over 200 acres, and consisted of over 60 different buildings and structures, with the majority of them still remaining active for its original intention. The hospitals buildings were constructed in the "cottage" model, with separate structures built above ground and interconnected by a series of underground tunnels. This model allowed patients to be separated and treated according to their level of stability and functionality.
The hospital treated both men and women with a vast array and variety of different mental health conditions. Throughout the 1900’s the hospital admitted around 2,500 patients every year. Most of the mentally ill patients lived in dormitory buildings, with each room holding two persons. If a patient was higher functioning and stable on their medications, then they were awarded much more recreation opportunity, social interaction, and overall flexibility than the other patients. These “higher level” functioning patients were able to partake in occupation and recreation within the areas of the hospital.
Some patients were voluntarily committed, but many patients were also criminally insane. In other words, this meant that the hospital did have a large population of patients that had committed serious crimes, such as murder, rape, and even cannibalism. These type of patients were separated from the others and were forced to live in much harsher conditions. There is both proof and documentation that the patients were treated much different; often being abused in any way imaginable, neglected, punished, and were even used as Guinness pigs. They were often restrained for long periods of time, used to perform new surgical operations, experimented on with different medications and injections, and even used for all types of unconsented patient experimentations. From the initial early years through the 1940s, the hospital was certainly not immune to the same horrific experiences, conditions, and treatments that most of the other state psychiatric hospitals had.
Many of the now considered barbaric forms of mental health treatment, took place at the hospital. Although some of these same types of treatments are still being used today, back then the patients were not given choice, they were often sedated, assaulted and restrained…..and many made comparisons that drew parallels to human torture. Some of these atrocious treatments that patients underwent at the hospital included electro shock therapy, insulin coma therapy, and lobotomies. In the 1950s and 1960s, much needed advancements in the treatment and care of the mentally ill began to take transform many of the psychiatric hospitals, including this one. As the primary focus began to shift to anti-psychotic medications, patient education, training, and more outpatient modalities, the hospital made significant improvement and soon became a model institution in the treatment and care of the mentally ill, especially within the criminally insane unit. Modern Medications were said to have been the real difference maker, as they were able to help control and lessen the severity of many of the symptoms and behaviors associated with mental illness.
In addition to the growth in pharmacology, the hospital also implemented Specialized treatment units for substance abuse, social rehabilitation, geriatrics, adolescents, and forensics. There was a major emphasis on social and vocational rehabilitation to prepare patients for eventual community re-entry. By the new millennium, the psychiatric hospital had largely proven itself to be the new standard of care - leaving most of its tragic and awful history behind. At this time, the future of this partially abandoned state psychiatric hospital is grim. After already closing down several of the other programs and buildings in recent years, many hospital staff, leaders, lobbyists, and stakeholders are pushing to build a brand new modern state of the art forensic psychiatric hospital nearby. This would most certainly be the final straw for the already aging and deteriorating hospital. Only time will tell what happens to this controversial state hospital. For more photos and other locations, check out the website at abandonedcentral.com. Thank you for all the continued support!