In 1870 the State of New York purchased land from local area farmers. In 1912, after the construction was completed, the hospital was opened boasting 32 patients. The campus began to grow at a rapid pace and soon had a total of 50 buildings. In 1959 the hospital is reported to have housed 7,000 patients.
During the 1960’s the asylum was described as overcrowded, poorly equipped, and understaffed. During this era the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients caused the decline of many asylums and mental hospitals. Without patients to sustain them they slowly fell into disrepair.
Today most of the buildings are empty and remain abandoned. Less than 500 patients were still housed in the facility during our visit in 2007. We managed to pass patients and ambulances on the immense half-abandoned and forgotten campus even though it was mainly deserted. Strange visions in this desolate landscape.
We explored building 25 and it contained cells, solitary seclusion rooms, a refectory and day room with strange paintings on the walls. Two sad dilapidated porches with thick steel bars are the only glimpse of the outside world patients could expect. One can only try to imagine and guess what types of mental illnesses were present in such a large facility with overcrowding.
Threatening someone with stalking and bodily harm in an open forum? Hmm... you're credibility has flaws. A real LEO would seriously frown upon your behavior here.
We are not amused, nor impressed.
No, you cannot.
Walter I would shut your lips if I were you. I can find out where you live by tracking your IP. Wana police stick up your ass?
arrest the demolishers ,let the photografers do there thing, they don't harm anyone.
I patrol there all the time. We arrested a few kids there the other day.
It is the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center in Wingdale, NY. In Dutchess County
I LOVE this site. The images are spell bounding to say the least. I wanted to just make a comment only to inform, not start a hate fest and I certainly dont want to piss anyone off at all. I write this only because of a tag on one of the photos regarding the children. Not all children were insane in these hospitals and Im sure that’s not what it meant, but I wanted to clarify a common thought about these hospitals anyway..... Often children with slight handicaps were put in these hospitals because their parents could not handle taking care of a child as is done without question today. Medication was still experimental back then too. Husbands committed adulterous wives to retain their own reputations and save face among their peers. People with different points of views/religions, etc. or slightly odd were committed constantly by their opposers. All you needed to do was sign them in or convince a judge-Not hard to do during more corrupt times-money was always a powerful negotiator. My aunt was 6 years old when she was forced by her stepmother to hang the laundry on the roof. She fell off the roof and survived. She was not crazy, nor insane; she suffered from seizures after her accident. Her step mother put her in Pilgrim. Sadly, this is what most people in those days did. My aunt never left Pilgrim; never married, never had children-she grew up looking out-while the world looked away. She died peacefully in her sleep in 1962, still contained within the walls of Pilgrim State. Very sad, a beautiful life unable to live to the fullest beyond the lawn of this awful, house of horrors, hospital-well known for its -cure all- lobotomies. Pilgrim state holds me in its grip on a very personal level and on an intense exploration level too. In the 70s I passed the haunting remains of one building off of Commack Road constantly, each time I did, I wanted to see it from the inside out, wanted to have enough nerve to face the awfulness inside, know more. I never got that opportunity.
This place looks really fascinating....I looked up some more recent pictures, and the place looks a little worse for wear. Still amazing, but definitely not as pristine as these shots. The ones I saw were still about two years old. Anyone know if this place (no names or locations necessary if you want it to remain anonymous) is still standing? Anyone know what kind of condition it's in, and if it's still worth a trip today?
There is mad shit there at that place..me and a few of my friends have gone there and have recordings and pictures of our own!..As for the picture with the Dog and Kid..(Clearly) If it was part of rehab they still had anger and shit..so tthe waythe boys fingers are curled it looks like he is about to stab the dog.....As for the Ghost in Picture 20..Me and my friends have seen him in another building..and he knows of our presence..He made it very well known...
hello from bomb were is this places
This picture of the boy patting or stabbing (as you like ) the dog is extremely disturbing and I can't imagine how is should have any positive effects on the patients.
By the way many of your galleries are amazing, especially the ones of the mental hopitals give you a sweet sense of hollywood horror - Can't wait to see "Shutter Island"
in picture 20, it looks like the "ghost" is wearing a jersey, you can see faint numbers.
RobertMfromLI pleas pleas pleas can you shoot me an email i have a few questions about the place i want to ask you
Apparently it is actually a person standing there. (look down at more of the comments)
These photos are amazing! Did you see the ghost in photo 20? You should get those examined, they're great evidence.
Well, this mystery is finally solved. At Sylvain's (from forbidden-places.net) request, I will not repost the answer.
Sylvain, thanks for the email confirmation, and great site!!!
Best, Rob
I am beginning to believe you are correct, as some aspects of the floor plan do not match, even though many others are near exact like windows and such... now I am very intrigued.
There are some in Buffalo that are similar - but also not an exact match. There is also (as others mentioned) KP Building #93, which is also similar but does not match.
Another key thing not found on any of those buildings are the day room and porch on each end.
Hoping you get to your email... would love to know of another such monstrosity that still exists that would bring back fond memories of my youth.
Haugaard designed many similar buildings, such as one at Mason General Hospital... but even Mason, which is the closest I have found, does not have the same floor plan...
Are you sure? In Edgewood the building number may have been #25. When EDGEWOOD became part of pilgrim state, it may have been changed to #102.
It definitely looks exactly like #102. I know, I live in walking distance from the bottom of the Edgewood/Pilgrim State lands. I've even been __ (in? near?) that building before.
As for the possibly fictitious Northam with no location or building plans, I'd need to see more than some interior pics that seem similar.
I'd guess that the interiors of the hospitals looked far similar to each other than the exteriors ever did. From what I have seen, of the larger buildings, virtually every one is different. And building #102 is the only one I know of that had that exact floor plan.
I am definitely willing to submit I may be wrong though. Will email you...
Rob
no its not edgewood or pilgrim state or kings park, etc. most of these institutions are similar in design which is why people think they see any of those locations in this. this building still exists as far as i know. haven't been near here in quite sometime though www.opacity.us is another place that has pictures of it. email whatdoyouknowslade@gmail.com
Technically, it was Edgewood State Hospital, which was adjacent to Pilgrim State and considered by all to be a part of it, as it was an annex of it of sorts.
Scroll down halfway for another great pic. You can just make out the two small "wings" that came off the building on the left and right just at the fenceline.
Edgewood Hospital
I got to see it both before it was ravaged by fires and after... I have some friends who still have some souvenirs from it.
More info and pics can be found here:
Map showing outline of Building #102 (which no longer exists): www.edgewoodhospital.com
Pictures of Building #102: www.edgewoodhospital.com edgewoodhospital.com
Hope that helps. A simple Google Search on either Pilgrim State Building #102 or Edgewood Hosiptal Building #102 is likely to turn up even more info for anyone interested.
I am not sure what slademilz is talking about. The location is indeed Kings Park, NY (or Brentwood or Deer Park, depending on who you talk to); right near Commack NY. It sat (PAST tense) between Sagtikos Parkway (NOT Sunken Meadow Pky, which actually begins a few miles further up) and Commack Rd, just south of Long Island Expressway.
It was a building that was part of the Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center/Hospital (sometimes also referred to as the Kings Park State Hospital). It was razed years ago, and the land it sat on has been donated/purchased for use as a park. Many of the other buildings in the complex still stand (though quite a few others have also been razed). Some of the existing buildings are in use, some are abandoned and in various stages of disrepair.
Portions of the building noted here "caught fire" before being razed (though the structure itself still stood).
This building actually was listed as #102, not #25... which was probably a renumber from it's original plans. The bottom most part of the map above shows the part of the building that faced Commack Rd.
its funny that everyone is so way off on the location. I know where and what this is but i won't tell on here,sorry I wouldn't recommend anyone try to get to this into this place anyway though. A risky proposition to be sure. Theres reasons other than secrecy or keeping things intact such as what is around here now but i will say no more. cool pictures
Indeed, this is a person in picture 20. I usually try to avoid characters in my photos, but I liked the way it turned out in this case, blurry, ghostly, very well fitting with this creepy location...
Picture 20
Is there a person in that picture???
Nope, it is not! S.
is this by chance part of the harlem valley hospital aka hudson river state hospital?
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