background
Showing posts with label insane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insane. Show all posts

Monday, March 28, 2016

Hudson River State Hospital is a "Victorian Gothic" styled Kirkbride Hospital for the Insane which was constructed in New York in 1868 and opened on October 18, 1871. Construction took over 25 years to complete and was heavily criticized for cost overruns and delays. It operated until 2003 when facilities were consolidated with other local hospitals and it has been abandoned ever since. Demolition is set to begin any day now.

A detailed history of this site is beyond my current means but Wikipedia covers the history here pretty well. Suffice it to say this place is huge (it was originally 750 acres) and by now is pretty well destroyed.

This is part one of an epic 7 part, 2,600 mile, road trip. Stay tuned..

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Hudson River State Hospital © 2016 sublunar

Monday, March 24, 2014

The Asylum was constructed in the early 1900s to treat, house and care for the insane. Just four years after it opened, they already had nearly 1,000 patients living here. The facility utilized many common treatment options of the time, including Hydrotherapy and Electro-Shock Therapy. Lobotomies were also regularly performed here, in some cases as often as forty times a year.

By the mid 1950s, the patient population was approaching 2,000 with a capacity of only half that. Facing over-crowding, the facility began administering anti-psychotic medication and the discharge rate began to keep up with admissions.

Currently, the site is active and still functioning in the same capacity it was when it began here, only now they are operating out of newer buildings. These old buildings remain on an active campus, locked up and reguarly patrolled by security.

UPDATE: Check out my brief exploration of the Diagnostics building here.

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar

The Asylum copyright 2024 sublunar