There's much to see here, so take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about us. We hope you enjoy our site and please feel free to join our Facebook Group.
The link is at the bottom of this page.
A brief summary of the history behind the psychiatric industry.
Huge changes came to the psychiatric industry
A Look Inside Insane Asylums of the 19th Century
Asylums to Community Care
[ loo-nuh-tik ]
An insane person. A person whose actions and manner are marked by extreme eccentricity or recklessness. A person legally declared to be of unsound mind and who therefore is not held capable or responsible before the law: a former legal term.
[ uh-sahy-luhm ]
An institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance . . an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary:
He sought asylum in the church.
International Law.
Ever since I was young, I have always had an appreciation for old grand buildings and their architecture. The first one that really captured my eye was the vacant Crestmont Inn, a hotel in Eagles Mare PA. I remember walking the property and peering in thru the windows, fully captivated and astonished by the grandeur of the building as the flood of thoughts ran thru my head as to what that place must have been like back in its day. The next time I visited there, the building had been knocked down.
Later on, I moved to northern New Jersey and soon became familiar with the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital which was still in operation at the time. Over the years, I followed the news and soon became saddened to learn that it too would be demolished.
Then, during my trips to the Jersey beaches, I came across the town of Asbury Park. It was a desolate place, but you could tell there was a real history there. The side streets opened up wide onto Ocean Avenue and there were a series of dilapidated hotels scattered around the beach area. Boarded up houses, run down motels, closed restaurants, a boardwalk with no rides or vendors and the skeleton of a 15 floor hotel that was never completed. It stood for decades as a reminder of a failed redevelopment plan. When I looked into the town's history, I was dumbfounded to learn that it was once one of the top beach towns in New Jersey, known for its rich musical history including Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes who got their start playing the local bars and clubs. Bon Jovi also played here when they did the Jersey shore circuit. Asbury also attracted a lot of people from New York City. Today, it is great to see its rebirth as new money is coming in and rebuilding the town.
When Greystone was ultimately demolished, it got me to research out other similar properties. This opened my eyes to many of the other campuses as well. In turn, this got me to better understand the achievements as well as the horrendous errors of the ways in which the psychiatric community stumbled its way on its path to where we are today. Sadly, a lot of people died while others were tortured, and these magnificent buildings fell into total disrepair and became obsolete thanks to fires, lawsuits, poor management, financial problems, government gridlock, changes in laws and building codes, new treatments, medications and even mother nature.
In 2021, I had to make an unplanned trip to Boston where I stumbled across the town of Danvers. Knowing I had several hours to get back to the airport for my return trip, I made the decision to visit the site of the Danvers Insane Asylum. I drove around the campus and while most of the Kirkbride building had been demolished . . I was pleased to see that the front facade of the main administration building was spared and mixed into the new luxury apartment complex that had been constructed. When I returned home, I knew it was just a matter of time before I would create this website.
Many of the photos on this page were found on Google. If you are the owner of any photo and you object it being on this site, please notify us and it will be removed.
Sign up for real estate news.
You found this site a bit early. We're still setting it up.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.