The main building had a chapel in it. Also the northern part of it was also used as housing for nurses and doctors. My father's office was down the main entrance up a set of stairs and on the third door on the right. He was the cheif engineer at the time he worked there.

The courtyards were used long ago and referred to bull pens I believe. Especially in the male wards they would have the patients walk in a circle around the courtyard. They believed if they were kept moving there wouldn't be any so called "episodes" ::cough::

I've got mixed feeling about the "tags" all over. On one hand the place is in ruins anyways. They will end up demolishing these buildings and putting up expensive housing.

It also emphasizes the neglect and the human tendency to close ones eyes to a shaded past. How could these vast buildings be left to rot? Its a shame and the debris and trash left behind proves to me that pushing these people out of hospitals was a rushed job.

Grant you, the dream of making a nuturing secure place for the mentally ill was a good one but it falls short. Anywhere you have a large amount of human beings in an institutional setting you will find cruelty and abuse.

Long story short.. the defacing of these buildings seems predictable. Its rebellious. The abandoned buildings represent institutions and getting lost in the red tape as well as falling short of good intentions. Welcome to the modern world.

A question.. I no longer live in Massachusetts. Are there plans to tear this down still?

My father worked there in the early 70's. There are tunnels undergound that lead to the admissions building and the buildings across the street.

We use to live in the big white house at the top of the hill. Near that pink pavillion thingie.