| most names have been changed |
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| cottingley institution cottingley institution's story echoes that of many of the asylums and institutions. built in 1908 with high hopes and a sprawling campus that had everything a community could need - including a barber shop, a greenhouse, a fire station, a movie theater, and a general store - cottingley rapidly devolved into a site synonymous with well documented overcrowding and neglect that caused the adults and children who resided there to regress further and further from functionality. ultimately it was closed in 1986 amid a storm of charges of physical and sexual abuse, improper restraint and seclusion, corruption, mismanagement, and neglect. galleries added 10/06, 10/07 |
| vincent campbell center built in 1907 as one of the first state funded tuberculosis sanatoriums, the vincent campbell center later became a state hospital and finally a reform school for boys. several buildings on campus are still being used in this capicity to treat teenage males who have committed violent crimes including arson, kidnapping, rape, and murder. gallery added 10/06 |
| macintyre middle school now filled with dozens of motion detectors, macintyre middle school has many remnants from when it was in use - desks, posters, band hats, and walls covered with the painted words of the students who once attended it. the magnificent auditorium and untouched classrooms make macintyre a rare, precious find that may never be photographed in its current state again. gallery added 10/06 |
| rosevale institution originally opened in 1895, approximately 200 people with developmental/intellectual disabilities still remain at rosevale although most of the buildings are derelict. a bitter battle is being waged over its closing, with rights groups pointing to an astonishing 130 incidents of “abuse, neglect, mistreatment and injuries of unknown origins” in a two month period. allegations of failure to protect residents from harm, illegal use of restraints/seclusions, sexual abuse, and inadequate treatment threaten to close the remainder of rosevale for good. gallery added 12/06 |
| portecello state hospital for communicable diseases originally built in 1924, portecello state hospital treated patients afflicted with small pox, chicken pox, scarlet fever, measles, and diphtheria, among others. eventually portecello succumbed to its own disease, perhaps one similar to the ones it once treated. gallery added 03/07 |
| juanita de brogas magnet middle school nestled in the depths of the urban jungle, the juanita de brogas magnet middle school was once the worst middle school in its entire city. violence, corruption, poorly educated staff (less than 50% could do basic math themselves), and lack of adherence to any sort of scholastic or ethical standards drove what was once a prestigious institution of learning that hosted dignitaries like albert einstein, herbert hoover, and babe ruth into obscurity and oblivion. gallery added 5/07 |
| teton state hospital teton state hospital was once a lovely example of the massive kirkbride asylums that once dotted our countryside. hospitals of this type were self-contained cities, but as with many of these amazing buildings, most of teton state hospital has been shut down in 1975 and left to the elements. fire and water have revised teton, changing one's focus from the elegance of the mid 19th century architecture to the tragedy of its undoing. galleries added 9/07, 11/07 |
| algonquin river state hospital when building was completed in 1871, algonquin river state hospital was unparalleled in scale and opulence. now it is unrivalled in the sheer scope of its devastation. algonquin river has suffered more dramatically from the elements than any other state hospital and after a massive fire (and the resulting effort to extinguish it) gutted its wings what remains is perhaps the most hauntingly epic and terrifyingly dangerous building in existence. galleries added 06/08 |
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| john f. grantham correctional facility the main prison building and power house of the austere john f. grantham correctional facility were built in 1872, and the entire site was closed when another facility was built (on a landfill contaminated with lead, petroleum, and arsenic) to consolidate this prison with another. it is hardly surprising that this prison's history is not a cheery one, but the scale of the buildings and the multitude of intimate glimpses into the harrowing lives the inmates led bring home a reality many of us are very fortunate to never have to confront. galleries added 07/08 |
| isle de las gaviotas communicable disease hospital first opened in 1902 with 120 beds, the isle de las gaviotas hospital was intended to protect the american populace from the myriad of diseases plaguing its patients. its capacity was expanded by 275, then another 450 to keep up with the overwhelming sea of intakes. it was the most advanced hospital of its time, with an 8 cadaver refrigerator, 4 laboratories, an autoclave so large it could sterilize entire mattresses, and an autopsy theater where visiting physicians and students could study the pathology of exotic diseases. eventually changes in law and medicine made it obsolete, and it was closed in 1954. galleries added 10/08 |
