File Room

i bet they were interesting to read!

i applaud you mr motts your fortitude and bravery(going inside these scary places) and the amazing photos you take you are to be commended.

Wow Motts, It would be great to have a letter head from that old place! Do you think you'll get back there before they tear it down?

Yes, I hope someone is able to rescue some artifacts...just read in the paper today that condos will be built over the area.

Condos? Instead of the stunning Kirkbride architecture?

=8-o

[groan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

Those bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope every one of them is haunted!

Its nauseating, really. There's an online petition to preserve Danvers, at this link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/dssehl/petition.html
Prolly won't do anything, but I feel good knowing I tried.

Sorry to double-post, but I couldn't figure out a way to add onto the old one. Anyways, I was thinking that if the graves there were simply marked by numbers, who knows how many unmarked graves there are? Danvers is a burial ground, a resting place. I just wish it could be preserved and turned into a musuem detailing the history of such institutions and treatment methods, serving as a memorial to all those who suffered under their walls.

LIKE 10 YEARS AGO A FRIEND OF MINE WENT IN AND TOOK SOME PAPERS AND IT WASSOO COOL..IT WAS LETTERS THANKING PEOPLE FOR DONATIONS AND SUCH. I THINK IT SICK TO WANT TO MAKE IT IN TO CONDOS WHO WOULD EVER LIVE THERE?? SICK

Avalon Bay is a land parasite: They are responsible for the destruction of a lot of property for profit here in my CT city.
It's unbelievable that the Danver buildings couldn't somehow be saved intact-just think, it could possibly redeem itself!

It just makes me seething mad...sure you'd have to do a little work to save the place...oh my - work! The novel idea!

Apparently there is a Danver's Preservation Fund, I read about it in one of the signatures on the petition (the most recent page as of now). Sorry to get so involved in this, but it really ticks me off how inconsiderate some people are. If I had the money, I'd go around and buy places like this to preserve them!

Motts,
do you think you'll get there agin before its totally gone?

I'd like to know too, Mr. Motts!...an update at the least :-)....
concerning all your locations: I hope there are 1000s of pics you took at each site but haven't revealed. I say this because all of your sites are fantastic .
Without you, I would spend all my spare time watching TV (PBS, DSC, TRVL, CourtTV, etc....) looking for this information! Sadly, on TV,...I'd never find your freeze-frame clarity and the human interaction that is welcome via your sites' comments!.
I fear these places may be lost. These places have hovering souls, such as you, watching them and documenting them; and souls, such as we , listening and seeing them through you. And, thanks to you, feeling their cold and stoney inheritance.
OK, enough of the mush )-).
Will you get there, "agin"?

Dunno how you got in there but you got some big bawlz on ya. I know someone who lives within a close view of the place and they tell me theres tight security 24/7 with violators being arrested. I'd never buy a condo there I'll tell you that much. Creepy as hell. I'd bet it's haunted too since I'm sure some violent murders took place behind those walls. Gives me the willies just thinking about it. Good work Mr Motts.

This is the month that Avalon will do its "trick." Iv'e been looking at some sites-the Danvers Preservation Fund for one.... because all this Danvers activity is in the works, I'm not finding alot of up to date info.--as in to the hour! Is it' too late :( I see Avalon has millions of dollars and the DPF has, well pretty much nothing to work with. There is a site and group dedicated to preserving cemetaries located on hospital premises...the Danvers before and after pics of these overgrown areas ( the pics are from years ago), and the post weeding , mowing and pruning pics of the the Danvers cemetaries (there are two apparently) is quite impressive. The local paper for Danvers had pics of past patients groupng tearfully with these dedicated people to try to save the grounds. There is alot of information out there mostly sad -- it's very overwhelming. And now, considering the present catastrophe in the south. A simple solution to many questions pertaining to saving these buildings would be: Preserve what is historic or unique or beautiful. What will and can never be reproduced again....
By the way, I recommend the movie "Session 9", in DVD format - -not for it's fictional story, but for all the footage of the Danvers grounds and buildings (though some scenes were staged, it's the real building I believe--Mr Motts would have an idea : )) The special feature info is interesting.

...here's the committees' site http://dsmc.info

I signed an online pitition about 2 years ago to save Danvers, Also there's alot of Danvers History discussed in the "Session 9" movie comentery by the Director and one of the co-stars

There's even a mention of Danvers in my history book - in the section detailing the Salem Witch trials, it says something about Salem now being Danvers, or something of the like. I was reading and I was all excited at the little mention! *blush*

I know it may seem a bit sick but I am interested in knowing what kinds of things REALLY happened behind those walls. One of my brothers and their friend went there and found part of a skeletal hand down in one of the tunnles. Did you find any interesting stories in that file room?

A skeletal hand? Really? Yuck, I had to "assemble" one for Anatomy class. You positive it was a hand? It's not I don't believe you but that just seems...wow. What else was around the area?

I wasn't there. My brother brought back part of a dirty wrist bone and what looked like the ring finger and the pinky in a plastic bag.

Oh ughh disgusting...I guess I don't wanna know how that got there...or maybe I do (curiosity killed the cat, ya know!)

Money grubbing bastards this place should be restored as a historic reminder of the treatment of the mentaly ill in this country.and guided tours should be given.

Where I work they have some real skeletons that apparently used to be used in anatomy classes when medical students did internships out here. I don't know for sure that this is what you saw at Danvers, but it's a possibility. My take is that you should either call the police anonymously if you think something bad happened (they can check out a lot of things these days with forensics, even if a crime was committed many years ago), and if it turns out it was a hand from a teaching skeleton, it would certainly be respectful to ask to have it buried.

My two cents.

I agree, but it's my brother's problem. He didn't keep it. I think it creeped him out, and rightfully so. But none of my brothers are ever normally creeped out by anything. (except the little one) I'm not sure what he did with it but this happened over four months ago.

The hospital should be a prized posession of the state, how come they are making it so illegal and hard to go and view it?

The hospital has always been somewhat of an interest to me. My great Grandmother worked there in the 50s as an occupational therapist, and also a family member was there as a patient . I think that as long as it stands it will ALWAYS facinate us.

hey so i think they should let people view the building, take some pictures or something before they rip it down. If not i'll just have to get in there by myself. WHOS WITH ME!

There are many unmarked graves all over the hill.
Former State employee, Have seen records that indicate at least 200 unmark graves of those unfortunate patients that had no family...........
The state is in a hurry to get rid of the propertie to hide the abuse and neglect that went on thier for many years....Many expierements were done to residents without thier knowledge the worst was the testing of radiation during world war2. It was feed to residents in oatmeal. Only the reidents without family..........

http://www.danversstat....com/chronicles.html
Hopefully, danvers will be preserved.

Tear the joint down. The best therapy is to forget the past.

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it!

oldecay@yahoo.com There ya go thinking like the rest of the knuckle heads. I cant stand when people just want to throw away our history. These places are important.

As far as the picture goes it kinda looks like all the paper blew off my desk.

I want to go in there.. I think they should let people in there.. too many vandals i understand but the place is a mess anyways..yeah I think they should preserve it, it's aplace thats intriging to your mind and makes you wonder about what really went on there.. yeah I definetly wanna get in there. Anyone know the easiest route and how many cops are there on a regular basis... I don't wanna get arrested haha

man i wanna get up there so bad but i dont wanna get busted i heard security was tight..howd you get in so easy. last time i went i couldnt figure out a way in.

hey I was thinking about going in and I was wondering when the best time to go is and how do you get past security

ok but what happns if a person gets caught by security like what is the punishment

ya if you get caught would they take my vidieo camera

what do u mean a trial

Kelso-

When you are arrested for trespassing. It is the discretion of the city. state, or county that you live in to further press charges.
Should they decide to, you will go before a judge, either with or without a jury present and you will be sentenced to any varying thing from actual time served at your local county facility or community service work.
You may also be subject to a fine that will be determined by the judge.

This will also be placed on your permanent record, and should you get caught again, then you repeat the process only with harsher punishments the more you get busted.

Until evenutally they will tire of seeing you permanently and then they will like send you off to a state or federal penetiniary to teach you not to tresspass anymore.

My concern while these hospitals are being destroyed is the unmarked graves. It would make me horrified to think that there are so many people buried there who are unknown, with the possibility of accidentally being "unearthed"!! Would the workers even report it? Good Lord, I hope so.

I believe there is a provision in most state laws regarding unmarked or older graves. That either the bodies are to be respectfully moved.
Or
In the cases here in California, they cannot develop on the land.
Up here in 'gold rush country" If a grave is found it has to be marked fenced off and I believe that there has to be a certain amount of distance between the fence surrounding the grave and where any development can begin.

Thanks for the info!

there are so many people that they buried out there they r bound to dig up some of the people it is just so sad because some of the people were not even crazy that were in that place

So developmental exhumation of a corpse - thereby disturbing a final resting place - is alright as long as the person was mentally ill when alive, but not okay if they were mentally sound?

I work for NASDI tearing down danvers state hospital. it's really ruined inside but it's creepy and fasinating. You have taken some realy good pics motts. Be careful inside there is alot of decaing floors in there. We leave the site at 315pm mon thru fri. good luck you pics do the plce justice!

how many buildings are left to tear down? is anyone documenting this? are they allowing people up there to take pics like press and such? when do you think it will be done? Is the bonner building being taking down as well?

I bet those files have some interesting stuff to be read.

wow i would have spent forever there going thru the files and reading them!

the way people are now-a-days in a few years there arent going to be anymore historical sites.Damn them...

this structure is so beutiful, i will do everything in my power to keep it up.

gata1052003@hotmail.com

WOULDNT IT BE COOL IF EVERYONE NEGLECTED THE NEW CONDOS BECAUSE IT TOOK THE PLACE OF SUCH A HISTORICAL SITE?

JOana, I like the way yuo think!!!!!

Does anyone know if any architectural elements are going to be saved? i.e. doors, weathervanes, hardware, ect ?
I keep checking E-bay thinking stuff will appear.

I grew up in Danvers and was in awe of the State Hospital. Even though it intimidated me a bit, I had a respectful regard for DSH. Truly, I do not understand why anyone would want to live in condos on that property -- especially knowing about the unmarked graves, etc. The souls/spirits at DSH cannot be liking the "progressive" plan. I would no more want to live there than on a known Indian burial ground. Is no ground sacred?!? Obviously, money is the motivation for the development . Sad, eh?

Judge Howard Whitehead, who heard the oral arguments from the Danvers Preservation and the parties DCAM, Danvers Town Manager, Avalonbay and William Galvin Historic State Commission of Mass. Judge has more than likely been bought out by Avalonbay. Avalonbay has been paying people off to buy the hospital, Avalonbay refuses to speak anything regarding the decision nor does the judge want to comment, it is all closed doors. The deal was sale out since the day it started, it is a crooked sale.

Avalonbay will regret this later down the road but for you all want to view a up coming site, go at: http://www.danversstatehospital.info there will be photos of Avalonbay and everything Avalonbay will despise what is said, they will feel the fuming people when more and more hate sites what Avalonaby did to Danvers State Hospital, also Department of Capital Asset Management of Mass.

I have just recently been doing research on these places,what great pictures you have taken,I live near Pittsburgh where there was also a place called Dixmont,the owner has also sold out to corporate America and the place will be replaced with a Super Wal-Mart,as if we don't have enough already,what about all of the history,of these places,I think it is truly sad,these places need to be saved and made into museums.Or at least the gorunds preserved.Lookig forward to you next update.

In response to some of the comments and questions , I can tell you that the records did not contain that much detailed information about the patients. Back in the old days written records did not require much detail. Records would contain brief notes about daily living. Medication wasn't even used back then to treat mental illness the way it is today. I know this because I helped with the archiving of many of the old records.

Hi There is a Kirkbridge in Fergus Falls Minnesota. The only remaining of three that were in this State. According to the Historical Society, It is an active thou almost empty hospital. Our Great State wishes to dipose of it as it costs $800,000 a year to maintain. Fergus Falls has a Population of 13,000. According to the site if no buyer. Then it get's the ball. This place is beautiful. Some one could buy it for a song. You know the state wants to cut its loses. In a town of thirteen thousand it will go cheap. It will rot for a decade or more. Then just to end the blight. Torn down for housing. Maybe save a brick or two. It's the cycle of life. How could anyone plan to preserve it. No non profit could afford it.

Do a seach. There's some great photos.

Mott's look for this one in the Future

Well, that's a damned shame - it's a real beauty, too. :-(

http://i47.photobucket...lsStateHospital2.jpg
http://i47.photobucket...relle/sh_ferg_sm.jpg
http://www.kirkbridebu...ngs/fergusfalls.html

yeah that is too bad, thanks for the photo sites Lynne ;-)

my fingers are itching to get a hold of some of those papers....simply because they exist. pipe fittings sound great to me!

..It makes me sick that they're tearing the place down.. it should be preserved.. it's a beaitful place and historical place and it's being torn down by morons for some condos?! build the damn condos somewhere else!!! there's no need to ruin this place...people who do things like this make me sick..

I still want to know what those papers say.

Its a shame what this building has become!!!

Those files were all over the place. Last time I was in there, the confidential paitent files were there for the taking. Someone locally here just got in trouble for trying to sell a Patients file on Ebay. Some rooms were knee-deep in files. Ask anyone around Danvers, from regular citizens to the State Representatives, they all knew about the file . . .

This is such a strange pic...It is like someone went on a rampage and just trashed this room, throwing files and papers everywhere...scary...

Damn, i want some of those. they must be very interesting.

Go on ebay; there's plenty of Danver's things for sale. But, excuse me for saying, I think that's pathetic.

I just checked ebay (check this post date), and there is a slime-ball out there selling bricks from this place (and is pleading for "no negative feedback").

I just left him an email telling him in no uncertain terms what I thought of him and his profit-making venture.

Am I pissed-off? In a word: yes. In two words: Hell yes!

I just finished a book on Danvers. It was written in 2005 so iy's fairly recent. There was an interesting part about all the graves that were discovered; incidentally by the Danver's State Hospital Memorial Committee; who they, themselves were former patients. The graves were neglected for so long and so over-grown, the committee had to search and they finally discovered them. 768 people were buried at Danver's and they were marked only by a number. The state "supposingly: lost the records of which name went with which number, so the committee memebers had to research the death certificates in different town halls in order to identify them. I really felt that was really sad. As the book states,"Each had been a unique individual in life yet here they were unnamed and unacknowledged in death. The committee cleared the site and said,"These graveyards have been forgotton--as these people were in life. There are voices here that haven't stopped speaking yet. We are their living echoes." This truly got to me. So if Danver's is no longer there and they build condos or whatever they're going to do, what about this cemetary. Does anyone know?

I was under the impression that a graveyard cannot be relocated until the last body has been laid to rest for 100 years. If that is indeed true, Danvers should be OK.

wow im going there

Better move quickly, now. =8-o

On the skeleton hand, it should have been reported to the proper authorites,could have been someones loved one missing, as for getting to see this place WEAR BLACK.

i think they should just clean it up well they cant really anymore they tore the place down

this is such a great pic, love the lighting

if anyone in or near the boston area is interested there is a article in the boston sunday globe today in the globe north section of the paper , about the current progress of the devolopment .

"Dreary asylum" my aching hindquarters! >:-[

Here is a link to the article, and there is a slideshow with it. However, if you are a Danvers Hospital fan, the slideshow is quite painful:

http://www.boston.com/...urious_homes?mode=PF

Well, dangit! I got to the site quickly and easily when I first went looking for this, but now when I go back it wants you to register before it will let you view the article. >:-[

Yeah, once you leave the site it won't let you back in.

I see many a protest to have kept this vehicle of tortured memories standing but few if any of you saw the reality of it. Some called it beautiful but how can it be when its very being and its very deep, dark soul pulsates with the ugly blackness that diseased its walls? The patients that resided there or any state mental hospital for that matter were human beings used as lab rats, many neglected and abused. It was all real, not some movie set and sequence built and romanticized by Hollywood to feed our dark need for the black and dreary. Human beings really lived this and died this, so where does beauty fit in? I fail to see it, maybe its bcuz I work in the mental health field and I see what vibrant personalities my clients possess and I see just how human the mentally challenged are on a daily basis. I say I'm glad its gone. As for those seeking ghosts, no worries, they are still here just "living" with more freedom than they had in life.

Yes the vast majority of the tortured souls who lived with in the grimness that was Danvers State Hospital, left under their own power, eventually. Things changed, laws changed, medication changed, treatment changed, from the day DSH opened to the day it closed forever, every thing changed. Whether things improved, I leave others to decide for themselves. (IMHO they did)

Indeed some things have changed such as medication distribution, the laws have changed, though perhaps becoming too drastically one sided (at least here in Michigan where the caregivers have no way of diffusing a physically violent attack from a client other than trying to talk them down or calling the cops. I know other states teach caregivers proper defense techniques against such attacks.) However, things such as, caregiver/client ratios have not really changed all that much. In the institutions we will guesstimate that there were 2 nurses to say 100 patients on a floor. Each nurse has to feed, medicate, change, bathe and otherwise keep watch over 50 patients. Some of them are runners that try to escape, some are physically aggresive, others are self abusers and so on. You can imagine the problems that arise by the hospitals being drastically understaffed. (Sry I have to put this in more than 1 post as I am posting from my cellphone internet, again my apologies.)

The ratios in todays group homes are considerably smaller and may seem much better but in reality one has to question if it is. The majority of caregivers are women and if you have ever gone up against a very upset and frustrated mental patient, then you see the issue there, but anyways, the smaller groups still have the same problems. Lets say you have a runner, a self and other abuser, one that is on a special diet and at every turn is getting into the fridge, another that likes to do self indecent things and the other two while normally calm, change real fast when the crap hits the fan. Its like a domino effect, one right after the other they start going into their behaviors, totally chaotic, yeah, serious understaffing is a problem that has yet to be fixed but alot of that stems from another issue. Being underpaid, which in turn leads to many caregivers just not caring enough and so the abuse and neglect still go on. :(

I was never a patient at Danvers, but have been to a different rural, currently-open, much smaller psych hospital. The first time there was quite shocking, as I was first placed in a unit that you might want to call "lockdown". The windows had fence-like coverings, the small yard was steeply fenced. There were not any locks on bedroom/bathroom doors. Staff could enter the bedroom at any moment, and did - privacy is totally gone. New patients with unknown psych ills are new roommates, sometimes arriving in the middle of the night, again into your bedroom without asking. Feeling very vulnerable. Only a hospital gown. Trying to cover up. Staff who are strangers, looking in on you with flashlights, waking you every hour. For the first time sharing living space with the truly mentally ill without understanding it or them. Not knowing how they'll behave, and being considered one of them. How to talk to them. Not thinking the way you usually do. Not wanting to exist. Listless. Trying to figure a way out the window. Trying to figure the place out, what to do, how things are done. What is the commotion out in the hallway. For the first time, talking to someone that appears to be talking to the air, and they talk to you too, quite well, then go back to their conversation with the air.

Finding out these are people. The shock of seeing that these "weird" and "frightening" people are treated fairly and with respect by staff. Learning to do the same. It leaves you feeling sad to leave because you lose the staff and patient support, and unconditional acceptance from staff - but hoping not to return, because you want to be well, and free.
And then you are almost well, which is scary, and then you are. But then again, you have the no-slip fuzzy socks as a souvenir.

Danvers must have been quite nice in it's time. It was a beautiful facility. I would have loved to have gotton a tour of DSH before it was torn down.

Lynne - never met you, but thank you Lynne, for being in the business.

Hopeful,

You have learned more than most people will ever earn in a lifetime - that people are just people no matter where they are or what they do. We all have bad times and we all have times when we are on top of the world. The difference is in the resources we have - personal, physical, financial, genetic, etc. - and the amount of time we are affected - with the good as well as with the bad. You sound like one of the strong ones who will eventually conquer your demons and will be a beacon for others. I salute you and your strength.

Lynne

Danvers Stae when it opened was a showcase. It had gardens you'd see proudly kept in European villas. The architecture was new, fresh, and maintained. For many years outdoor work and much indoor work was done by trustee patients. It was a self supporting community. We had a farm, dairy herd, and piggery all on grounds. There was a power house (which is still active) and a train station, Asylum Station. When it got to the point the state had to pay the patients the farms and such became a luxury, and couldn't be run efficiently enough to sustain the hospitals needs. This didn't happen until the 1960's. It was at the time considered excellent vocational therapy.

i think it would have been so awesome to read a few of those files.

Always wanted to find and read the files of a long forgotten mental patient. Eh-What a dream. x_x

Fantastic website and really great to read through all the comments.

so sad peoples lives just strewn on the floor like that, no body cares any more

The minds of the people of the world today is disgusting. Why in the world would you want to turn these places into CONDOS??? A museum maybe and then the patients rooms could be stayed in for $$$. I'm pretty sure that they would get more money for preserving it than turning it into Condos that only a few people live in for about 1,200$ a month. And there are so many complaints too... It just makes me so mad that they would do that. and also that they would have so much security there if they were just going to tare it down. I mean let people look at the left over stuff and scare themselves take pictures. Gosh! people are just so cruel.
But you know they've already done it so I guess whats done is done.

there idiots tmakin condos

i dont know if anyone already mentioned this or not, but the location of the Salem Witch Trials HAPPENED on Hathorne Hill, the same EXACT location as DSH. its disturbing to see those 2 marks of history go hand and hand, and both of which the killings of innocent people...

to see the mental history of hundreds of patients just scattered across the floor brings tears to my eyes T~T

I d love to walk in on this room in my travels

My Aunt, lived there until the hospital closed.She has since passed but I can't get over the anguish and guilt I feel for the way she had to live.Why the guilt ? I simply do not know.I do remember my dad bringing her home for the week-end and the despair in his face when he had to drive her back.I was just a kid but I knew something with that situation was terribly wrong.I received a call from the nursing home she was re-located to when the hospital closed,asking if I would be her Health Care Proxy.I accepted.When I visited her,after not seeing her for many years she still had a picture of me as a child and even recognized me !! I 'll probably never know why she was sent there.I never saw the need for her to be there. God Bless You Aunt Marjorie - Love, "L"

Looks like no one uses this site anymore but just in case...
Since last post in Sept 2010 I've found a few things of my Aunt Marjorie's that evidentially were special to her.A few inexpensive pieces of jewelry a couple of wrist watches and greeting cards to my Mom that she used to send for any holiday and she always wrote a passage from the bible. I also found an old photograph of her and what a beautiful woman she was.Finding her photo and the cards from Aunt Marjorie, made her even more real to me.Her handwriting was a little shakey but ledgible and somehow she managed to send $2 in with the card. Amazing. Again, God Bless you Aunt Marjorie,Love Linda