Having grown up and then moving out of Millbrook I had lost track of many of the goings on in town. Bennett has always to me been a draw, and in its prime was a grand "gateway" to town. In this day and age of refurbishing of many structures to become viable forms of business, why was this beautiful building with so much potential left to become the " eyesore" as many people seem to call it? What was it about this place that our town goverment hated it enough to let it just rot before our very eyes? Its a disgrace to know that that they just sat back on their big fat freakin' asses and just watched this place just cumble. This building with so much history behind it should of been preserved long before it fell into such a state of disrepair. You all should be be so damn proud of yourselves.... bunch of damn losers !

'ystafell fwyta' 'eating room' in welsh....... Anybody know somewhere I can buy a new welsh scrabble board, mine's buggered....... Yffarn diawl!!!!!

a site with some traumatic and sinister pasts, to have been a place of historic methods in psychotherapy.
If a dwelling really was a recorder of intense stress and trauma, what would it play back to us?
there many places, here in wales, disused, too expensive to renovate and run, also too full of memories and frightening rumours (mostly exaggerated), not many people seem to have the imagination, or guts to do them up!
Who could

i live in handsworth, and never knew this amazing building existed, what a shame they demolished it, if they had turned it into a home i would definitly have lived there.
they should have saved this building its much better than the flats they have put up now. what a bloody shame the gothic architecture has gone to rubble.

I really enjoy your photos Motts. I am a nurse and have a great interest in the history of medicine. Your site puts a visual image to everything i have been researching. Thank you for preserving the history that is being destroyed all to quickly as these beautiful structures are being demolished.

I love this site, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks its romantic. I'm sure a few babies were made in this room ;)

Icequeen - I can tell you have been there and done that as they say. So have I and people who haven''t walked the walk aren't qualified to judge. I miss our clients and often wondered how they did get along in the world. I wish there was a way to contact some of those that I worked with. I really enjoyed working with the different individuals
and cared about them.

Restoration in 77 when it closed would of been viable! And while I know Millbrook did not own Bennett, if the goverment and or town would of taken the time then to gain ownership it might not be in the shape we see today. Don't tell me it wasn't possible because I know better. Call it what you like but we see things for what they are....

I firmly believe Millbrook is losing what charm it might of had and once Bennett /
Halcyon is gone there will no longer be any reason to go back there for me other to tend to family members buried at the church. Bennett / Halcyon is a chuck of Millbrook history just as Thorndale is.... No it might not of been reused as a school but it could of been restored as a Bed and Breakfast.... gift shops, a custom spa... anything ! other than what it was left to become. What did the people of Millbrook in goverment have against this place to let it fall into such disrepair?? just is so sickening....

MR MOTTS HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED COMING TO OHIO?
WE HAVE OUR OWN HAUNTED LITTLE REFORMATORY AND MANSFIELD PRISON.
XOKIDROCKOX2004@YAHOO.COM

AFTER ALL THIS TIME BLOOD WOULD NOT STILL BE RED IT WOULD HAVE TURNED BROWN

MR MOTTS, DID THEY EVEN TRY TO SAVE THIS BUILDING?

I JUST WANT TO WEEP.
THEY COULD HAVE SAVED THIS

BREATHTAKING

JUST BREAKS MY HEART THAT ITS GONE

MR MOTTS ,ITS A SHAME THAT THIS WAS DESTROYED.COULD THEY NOT HAVE BUILT ANOTHER CHAPEL AND USED THE EXISTING MATERIALS? IT JUST BOTHERS ME SO THAT WE CAN SO EASILY TAKE OUR HISTORY FOR GRANTED. THANK YOU MR.MOTTS FOR THESE WONDERFUL PICTURES

WHY WAS IT STOPPED BEING USED MR MOTTS?LOOKS LIKE IT JUST NEEDED A BIT OF REFURBISHING AND A GOOD CLEAN UP.

KINDA REMINDS ME OF A MICHEAL MYERS MOVIE.

IF PEOPLE DID NOT ENTER THE BUILDINGS WE WOULD NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE OR WHAT POSSIBLY WENT ON. SO FOR THE LADY ASKING ,WELL YOUR INTERESTED OR YOU WOULD NOT BE HERE!!!

I COULD TOTALLY LIVE HERE!!
WONDER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE SUMMER? AND THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE HOMES SO WHY ARE THEY EMPTY?

DID PEOPLE NOT EAT IN THESE PLACES?
NO KITCHENS NO CAFETERIAS?

DEFINATLY NOT THR SAME ROOM THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY DIFFRENCES. THE WINDOWS FOR ONE.

IT LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THOSE OLD HAND WASH FOUTAINS .WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THE BIG ROUND TUB AND HAD TO STEP ON THE LEVER TO MAKE THE WATER GO.

I AM HAVING TROUBLE THINKING ITS BIRD POOP.HOW WOULD IT GET OVER THE LIP OF THE ALTER?I BELIEVE IT MAY BE ORBS.
WHAT BETTER PLACE TO GATHER THAN THE CHAPEL.COULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST WONDERFUL ROOM THEY HAD IN THE TIME.

TOOO LATE!! SEARCHED IT .
LOOKS EXTREAMLY PAINFUL.