George Clough of Boston was hired to remodel the building and turn it into a hospital for the insane. At the time it was prohibitively costly to keep the site in operation. In the early 2000s, the facility was used to care for mentally disabled adults. The railroad tunnel nicknamed the "Bloody Pit" for taking the lives of hundreds during its construction. One of them is said to be artist William Morris Hunt, and another is a night watchman who perished in a fire in 1911. Between 1945 and 1950, four people disappeared, and only one of their bodies was ever found. He paid to have the tower disassembled, transported, and reconstructed on his property where it now sits today. Like many things built in the good old days, the dam wasnt destined to last long. This theater was closed in 1942 due to fire code restrictions. Determined to be beyond salvageability, a project was undertaken to de-construct the clock tower, brick by brick, and rebuild a new clock tower using original materials. Address: 9 Furnace Street, Building 4. As legend has it, ghostly Nurse Betsy of the psych ward sometimes plays the piano, as she used to do to calm her patients. The massive Ventfort Hall mansion is rumored to have a few ghosts under its roof, and witnesses say sometimes the spooks even touch people. The tower got its name after singer Jenny Lind performed a concert above the station. In the spring of 1914, the wealthy Houghton family bought their first car. Many structures contain asbestos so use proper protection and avoid disturbing any debris. Share this page. While on paper his philosophy applied only to the mentally-retarded, in practice this spread to include the abandoned, unwanted, and the poor. Despite the enormous size of the school, living conditions were very poor due to overcrowding, under-staffing, and general squalor. Discover Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams, Massachusetts: Naturally formed white marble arch housed in an abandoned marble quarry from the The tunnel was built in the early 1900s as a part of a four One of the many apparitions seen here is a person in a black hooded robe, and phantom smoke sometimes fills the halls. Instead of iron bars, residents were trained to stay at the facility using honor, education, and the threat of corporal punishment. Bases like this were common on the east coast and throughout the northern Canadian border. There are plenty of places I kept off this list so get out there and explore. The Bear Dens, considered modern for its time, featured large stone pools of water for the bears to swim and play in. Activity along the rail line peaked in the 1930s, with both freight and passenger trains growing increasingly scarce in the decades that followed. Killer Urbex Note: The Kirkbride building was closed in 1975 and left abandoned and neglected while the eastern infirmary building remained in operation. On the property, 841 graves can be found mostly unknown souls who died while seeking treatment. The entire building was closed and boarded up in 1989 when it became one of the most famous abandoned places in Massachusetts. There are rumors you can access the tunnel somewhere close to Emerson College as well. Expect steep cliffside and high fences that surround the base. The horses allegedly swap positions, seemingly overnight. Plunkett Hill Condominiums was once the 1918 W.B. For more about obtaining permission to explore abandoned places in Massachusetts, check out our guide Explore Abandoned Buildings: How To Get Permission. Today, the Gothic spires and central tower built in the 1800s, are incorporated into the modern residential community. That concludes our list of abandoned places in Massachusetts, but that doesnt mean thats all there is to find. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Mental Health Clinics & Information in North The biggest draw to the park in 1912, at the time of its opening, was the Bear Dens. The subway was built to alleviate automobile congestion above ground. Can an Old Coin Solve the Mystery of a Lost Roman Emperor? When the Bear Dens were featured in the 2003 Sean Penn film, Mystic River, the dens received national attention. She visited the hotel in 1865 and has been seen as a quickly vanishing apparition, along with one of her children. But don't take your eyes off her or she'll disappear! Eva was known as the "I Don't Care" Girl because of her famous song. From historic prison sites, to state hospitals, modern day explorers will find a variety of urbex adventures to choose from. During operation, the 300-person village had a wedding chapel, grist mill, water-powered mill, and an Inn for guests. Upstairs, there is an appartment, that is occupied. 42.3524, -71.06673Photo Credit: messynesschic.com. Still an active freight route, this 5 mile tunnel is one of the longest in North America. Inmates were held at the 600-acre facility, working the farm, going to school, attending religious instruction, or caring for the campus and grounds until they reached 21 years of age or were reformed. The population of inmates soared at the school until 1858 when over 590 boys lived at the school originally designed for 300. He was a firm believer in eugenics, the practice of selective breeding for the improvement in intelligence in the general population. The inspiration for H.P. High atop a cliff in Cape Cod, overlooking one of the most dangerous maritime shipping routes, is the North Truro Air Force Station. If youre nearby Id definitely stop by to see this wild attraction. Parents would comment that the school was barbaric, horrific, and medieval. Mr. Houghton, his wife Cordelia, and their 23 year old daughter Mary moved in circa 1900. Husband Teddy Wharton and a servant girl also have been seen, as well as an old-fashioned gentleman believed to be Whartons lover, who Forest Park Cemetery, aka Pinewoods Cemetery, is an 1897 graveyard known for its locally told ghost stories. The station remains vacant and will probably remain so since much of it contains asbestos siding and flooring tiles, and a serious black mold problem. The hospital was designed according to the Kirkbride Plan, a method devised and developed by prominent psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride. In 1926, surviving members of the Witnesses say Professor Java's is haunted by an apparition of a man in a suit. Unique elements of neo-classical design adorn the buildings such as cast-iron in the capitals, cornices, and many ornate copulas across the roofline. Plunkett Memorial Hospital, aka the Old Asylum. Youre in the right place. DHS held over 2,400 patients during its peak operations and employed many controversial treatments including lobotomy, insulin shock therapy, electric shock therapy, and medication abuse. The facility was completely abandoned, with its structures and equipment left to decay amidst the lush forest. Much of the concentration camp scene was filmed at the Whittenton Mills Complex. See. The 18th century brought statehood and more growth and development. Originally built in 1888 the site was called the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children. In 1886, the Lyman School for Boys opened leaving the present facility empty. 2023 Atlas Obscura. The situation at the school became even more deplorable when medical experimentation began there in the 1940s and 50s. The former home of Albert Charles Houghton and his family, the Houghton Mansion is now being used as a Masonic temple. Lincoln Park Gully is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of Dutch soldiers and Mahican warriors who planned to attach the Mohawks, but were ambushed by the Mohawks instead. Its definitely a unique spot and is even more captivating in the fall months. Laughter has come from the back and a barking dog has been heard on the main floor. Things spun out of control at the school with many incidents of violence and arson requiring police intervention to restore order. See our Dead Malls Guide for more. Of all the abandoned places in Massachusetts, the Belchertown State School has the darkest and most tragic history. In response, the town has increased its police presence in and around the building. The Eunice Williams, or Green River Pumping Station, Covered Bridge is said to be haunted by Eunice Williams, the reverend's wife who lived nearby in the 1600s. Despite its age, the building is in great structural shape. North Adams, nestled in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, is taking its place as tourist hotspot with great food and artsy culture. There are many famous abandoned places in Massachusetts to satisfy your curiosity and taste for adventure. The original depot was the primary supplier of ammunition to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet during World War II, with more than 2,000 civilian employees as well as more than 700 naval officers and 375 Marine guards working on-site. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'urbexunderground_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_13',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');Many find it odd that so many things were left behind as if the workers simply dropped their tools and walked away. This nearly 5-mile-long tunnel was dug out of the mountains of western Massachusetts between 1851 and 1875. The mountain is said to Ghost soldiers have been seen along Tunic Road, and some witnesses say phantom orbs have shown up in photographs taken here. This ended the rail service for that line leaving portions of the tunnel abandoned underground. Although videos and stories of explorations of this creepy abandoned school made it one of the most famous abandoned places in Massachusetts, not much exploring goes on now. By the 1980s, all remaining patients at the hospital had been moved out of the antique Kirkbride Building leaving it empty and neglected. Subsequent residents have been awakened late at night to footsteps and voices on the stairs that lead up to the room. The dry dam and all its glory sit in the middle of the woods. This abandoned neighborhood is now a park filled with beautiful trees, wildflowers, and hints of its past. WebThey broke ground in 1851. Which was changed to the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, later to become the Fernald State School. Soon urbex made this hospital another famous abandoned place in Massachusetts. Steinert Hall, of Boston, is one of the most famous abandoned places in Massachusetts. The facility was self-sufficient, putting residents to work. He told her he thought he was shot and killed by his own men. Closing of the facility began at the wingtips and by the 1980s, almost all services had been relocated. Most of the land was sold to the National Parks Service and is now part of Cape Cod National Seashore Park. Many urbex report police harassment and arrests for trespassing. Considered both an architectural masterpiece and a therapeutic environment for the insane, the firm went on to build similar hospitals throughout the state of Massachusetts over the next dozen years. Little to no progress has been made. Some of the buildings at Sage College in Albany were once a part of the Albany Home for Children; rumor has it that shallow graves were found during some campus construction. The hospital was closed and abandoned in 1973 and is now senior citizens' condominiums. In 1991, an enormous fire destroyed the abandoned building, destroying much of the structure. The hospital was used as a film location for the movie Session 9 in 2011. The rail line was used for both passenger and freight transport. While administrators sought to de-institutionalize the facility and empty the school, the legislature struggled to fight overcrowding. The bears were enjoyed by Boston families for generations. Save yourself with a headlamp, one of the most versatile pieces of urbex gear. Nearby, Highland Light still warns ships of the treacherous cliffs, as it has since 1870. }); We here at Killer Urbex have noted a distinct lack of guides to dead malls and zombie malls. Hidden deep in the 914 acres of woods that is Rutland State Park, is a hidden gem for exploration, the Rutland Prison Camp Ruins. Today the tunnel exists as a buried portal underground that ends in a dead-end. We highly recommend either thePETZL Actik Core, or theBlack Diamond Wizfor those on a budget. It is a strange place with hundreds of weird stories linked to it. Iceland in Winter: Natural Wonders & Ancient Legends, Vietnam: A Culinary Adventure from Hanoi to Saigon, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Osteological Specimens, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: St. Foy, Mindful Mixology: Making Non-Alcoholic Cocktails During Dry January With Derek Brown, Designing Immersive Gatherings With Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects, Raising the Bar: Chocolate's History, Art, and Taste With Sophia Contreras Rea, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, How a Groundbreaking Pastry Chef Bakes Outside the Lines. Roger Babson paid was an economist who paid for this to be done. Today only 27 remain standing. In the 1990s, the 50-room property was purchased by the Church of Scientology. Just 24 years and $21 million later, the tunnel was complete. The three-story hospital had enclosed curved breezeways connecting the 70-foot tall domed center building to the infirmary wards. Its stone walls and arched entry have been painted with colorful graffiti, and the utter darkness inside the structure makes it feel much longer than it really is. Since its opening in 1888, this school has been known by many different names, such as the initial name, the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children. This helped reduce costs as well as taught residents important skills they could use after their therapy. Even so, the commune failed to generate enough revenue to sustain itself, and the experiment was abandoned in 1847. The master-matron model was discontinued, replaced by guards. He reportedly committed suicide after getting in a car accident that claimed the lives of Mrs. Houghton and their only daughter. 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