This is Part 2 of the Scouting NY tour of Rockland State Psychiatric Hospital, a 600-acre abandoned mental asylum complex in Orangeburg, NY. Be sure to check out Part 1 here!
Construction of Rockland State Psychiatric Hospital began in 1927 on a 600-acre plot in rural Orangeburg, NY. Below, the Male Reception Building in its prime…
…and today:
Very little has changed on the complex since its construction. In most cases, it’s only the overrun foliage that gives it away as abandoned. Below, building 19 then…
…and its twin, Building 18, now:
I love little details from a bygone era, like this TV antenna…
Also hidden behind a tangle of vines…
A sign identifying the building:
During the 1930’s, Rockland State was considered one of the best planned psychiatric hospitals in the world. Its numerous facilities, including a power plant, rendered it largely self-sufficient…
I’m not 100% sure, but the power plant appeared to be in working operation the day I toured the facility (correct me if I’m wrong on this one). I love that the endless smoke tower steps originally went right down to the ground (er, seems like a bad choice for a mental asylum):
And in case you weren’t sure which building this was, a helpful sign:
In fact, during its heyday Rockland boasted a working farm and numerous industrial shops, all of which were staffed by patients. Everything from furniture to brooms were produced on location…
And though most most of the hospital complex is abandoned today, many of the old maintenance offices are still in use…
From an on-site locksmith…
…to plumbing…
…carpentry, roofing, and a tinshop…
…to electric & refrigeration:
Behind the facilities offices, a great old ramshackle building:
I’m taking a guess here, but does this squat structure remind anyone else of a bus station? It’s located in the center of the complex and would make sense as its transportation hub:
One of the most well preserved buildings is the old Administration Building…
…which best exemplifies the Mediterranean-style architecture found all over the complex (sadly, the mission tile roofs are mostly hidden by snow in my pictures):
I love the terra cotta entrance…
Also very cool: two working lanterns on either side of the door. You can just make out the faded initials RPC, or Rockland Psychiatric Center:
Very glad to see the cupola is still in great shape after all these years…
…complete with its original weathervane!
Directly across from the old administration building is one of the last working hospitals on the complex, the modern Rockland Psychiatric Center. Effort was made to match the new structure to its surroundings, but it just goes to show that the old Rockland campus is an artifact of the past.
A side door to a building…
…with a schedule I have a feeling is no longer kept (yes, of course I pressed the doorbell):
Seems like the type of sign you’d see prominently around a mental asylum…
…however, this one was just on the old basketball court, in the center of the complex:
Also, note the building behind the basketball court. Another of my favorite buildings on the campus, this one resembles a stable and especially reminds me of my travels through Spain…
Love the enormous wooden doors and lanterns overhead:
Inside another building…
…a reception area, plus a lone pentagram:
Update! As a huge H.P Lovecraft fan, I can’t believe I didn’t catch this. Luckily, reader CSCottM pointed out a way too coincidental resemblance between the pentagram…
…and Lovecraft’s infamous Elder Sign:
As CScottM points out, very appropriate for an abandoned mental asylum. The other side of the room – looks like it was in use until fairly recently:
A peek into another building…
…reveals a former cafeteria…
…also in pretty good shape.
This facilities-related structure is surrounded by a stone fence…
A crumbling urn on one of the posts:
Inside, a mess. Those look like walk-in refrigerator doors on the right – perhaps a former kitchen?
Another look inside. Would love to know the story behind that playpen…
As I was driving past a far corner of the campus, I noticed a bunch of structures.
At first, I thought they might be graves – mental asylums often had on-site cemeteries for indigent patients:
On closer inspection, they’re just picnic tables!
I’d love to know if this is a newer addition, or if hospital workers used to gather here in the 40’s and 50’s for barbecues:
Sadly, much of the Rockland staff was drafted during World War II, leaving non-qualified workers to take their place. This resulted in just 1 psychologist for every 300 patients. Infection spread, and the hospital soon became drastically overcrowded.
As many of you pointed out, the harrowing conditions were documented in The Snake Pit, written in 1946 by Mary Jane Ward and based on her experiences incarcerated at Rockland State (a movie based on the book was not filmed at Rockland).
The title, according to the dust jacket, comes from an ancient form of psychiatric treatment in which patients were thrown into actual snake pits in the hope that their sudden terror would cure their mental illness.
Though presented as a fictional tale set at the Juniper Hill Asylum, The Snake Pit documents many of the very real forms of psychiatric treatment Ward experienced during her stay at Rockland. These included hydrotherapy, in which patients were forced into baths of either scalding or freezing water, electroshock therapy, insulin shock therapy, and of course, lobotomies.
At the time, very little anesthetic was used during lobotomies; in fact, there weren’t even teeth clamps to prevent patients from biting their tongues. Surgical equipment included drills with 1-inch bits.
By 1970, Rockland was largely an outpatient facility, and with the onset of psychotropic drugs, only now services the seriously ill.
I’m glad to report that Rockland State is not in immediate danger of being razed. A reader updated me that plans to turn it into a senior citizen community fell through last year, and the town is seeking new options.
I really hope Orangeburg decides to follow in the footsteps of Traverse City, Michigan, where an abandoned state hospital was saved through its conversion to commercial and residential space.
It’s unfortunate the sun only stayed out for the first few pictures I took – Rockland is one of those places that looks great when a blue sky backgrounds its red clay roofs…and very bleak under a recent snowfall and overcast skies.
I urge you to take a walk around the campus to enjoy it for yourself someday. It’s public property, so you won’t get in trouble (though entering buildings is illegal), and it’s literally a journey back in time. I promise, your imagination is going to have a field day with this place.
Finally, a look at the windows of Rockland State. I’m always fascinated by windows at mental asylums. For untold thousands of patients, these windows offered what must have been a torturous glimpse at a freedom they could not have.
-SCOUT
PS – Much of my history came from this short 1999 piece in the NY Times, and is definitely worth a read.
Leave a Reply