Closer

i love your BW shots, looks like it was taken back in the 1930,s

Also, it doesn't look as decrepit in B & W as when it is in color. You could almost get the feel that it might still be in use.

...if only the windows weren't boarded up, that would be something to see.

what a waste of a stunning building

That's one of the reasons I love the colour shots so much, it shows the reality, the truth.

Is it possible to turn a building like this into condos, or even a mall?

Or is it too far gone?

Or is it worth it?

Puddleboy, no offense, but are you kidding? Commercializing something like this is a deadly sin.
A mall?! Really, come now. It's bad enough they want to "renovate" (rhymes with Mutilate) these buildings for the use of apartments and the like.

tsk . tsk. it is a shame that great old buildings are being destroyed to make way for stupid condo's or housing developments.

puddleboy, please take no offense at above comment, its just it seems anything beautiful and old is getting destroyed by developers

What I said may have been taken a bit out of context. I don't want to see these buildings torn down and replaced with something else. I'ld like to see them restored and used as something else. Sitting as they are now, they will eventually fall apart and come crumbling down.

THE AMOSKEAG MILLS IN MANCHESTER, N.H. ARE THE BEST EXAMPLE IN AMERICA OF HOW THESE MARVELOUS HISTORIC BUILDINGS CAN LIVE ON.

Its much better that these buldings evolve than be torn down. Like people, everything has its place in time.

I honestly don'y believe puddleboy is who he says he is. This is my first time here so hello by the way. Im pretty sure a land-developer would know enough not to build condominiums on a site like this. Who would you rent units to? No if somone wanted to make money they would pick something a little less 'charged,'

Sorry, Puddleboy, you have to give up being your own self! 8`-)

No, kau, Puddleboy is a real person and he is correct.

I like to see history preserved as much as possible. I've seen too many historic buildings come down and replaced with artisticly confusing structures, such as happened in Atlantic City. Nature destroys enough history. Look at what Katrina did to New Orleans. Let us try to preserve what we have left.

yeah BW shot! awsome!

It makes me so sad to think this will all soon be apartments and condoes.

I wish they could restore Danvers and make it a museum like they did to USS Alabama battle ship and submarine. I mean, it would be cool to restore it has it originally was, and open to the public and even make a small skit for the tourists. Oh well...it was a nice dream though!

deafangel, those are exactly my sentiments. Not only is Danvers an incredibly historic structure, it is in fact sitting upon incredibly historic ground. People really need to use their common sense more and realize that we are losing everything that holds more than a fleeting thought. It wouldn't surprise me if I soon start to hear about plans for condos opening up inside the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower.

thats cool.

I hear you can rent a room at the "White House"! I just found this site and I am very sad to see such a beautiful building go. I wish the state could have taken it over and used it for a museum and a medical history teaching and referance center for students of all ages. It would be better than condos for yuppies

Oh my god I love this one even more. What a magnificent building. Great photo!

I had the honor of previously working for the security compnay that used to watch over DSH. I was one of the lucky few that had 90% unrestricted free roam of the grounds. ( inside was off limits life or limb restrictions) I never got anyone arrested but have asked alot of people to leave. I drove by the site the other day and two of thw wing buildings were gone. The hospital bld gone- I am still amazed how the Grey Gables is still standing, man you sneeze to close to that building and it creaks. My opinion they should have spent the money and restored the buildings or at least part of them and charged admission. How may people that have read the comments or have submitted a comment would refuse to pay 20.00 to walk around inside thebuilding. I swear there are some pretty dumb people that we call the powers that be....

It's great to hear from someone who had the experience of working there. It's strange that so many people who have come to this site have acted as if no one was monitoring these boards. It becomes easier and easier to see why UE folks work the way they do, and sad for all of us when people come onto these web sites bragging about destroying parts of these fabulous structures.

I know eveyone would be interested to hear what you think about when you see some of these pix.

Like I said in my remarks on the previous picture -- I hope the spirits of those poor souls run these greedy low lifes out and that they go into bankruptcy.

a men to that comment thats the truth and also i would pay any amount of mony to walk around that building for a day... but now none of us have that chance and thers nothing to do about it now and that rilly sucks...i hope the people who live there get haunted so bad they run out of there...

what the fuck is a condo?

WTF is a condo? It's a condominium --

Yep, terrible shame a building with such workmanship is left to decay. However, aren't all the pipes, or a good portion, wrapped in crumbling asbestos? Complete collapses make the asbestos problem almost impossible, or I would think.

From what the gut who got me my brick. From what he saw and learned, the tunnels are still intact just sealed up with fill for about 15 feet. Granted most of the tunnels are original they will eventually collapse. They are all chocker block filled with asbestos. Worst case the asbestos deteriorates further and gets into the water table ( the gounds surrounding the hospital at the bottom of the hill are old swampland) Or it gets into the air from out of the holes in the ground that will open up.

Big Ed, the guy who got you the brick is absolutely right about the tunnels still being there, Only about 15' out from the building was removed, the rest still runs through the grounds. Yes this will cause a future problem someday won't it. If only these developers could look that far into the future and realize what problems they may be causing for future generations..

fantastic photo and building. they don't make 'em like that anymore.
You can still see the main building and from Rt. 95. Looks like they sand blasted the brick and granite. Too bad about the asbestos. But some people only think about the $ today,, not about the future impact on the environment and the local residence. Some things never change!

on my way to see a client today i had to drive up the hill , it is a shell of its former self . i was shocked to see the water tower is still there , and while its a shell of its fomer self i was still fasinated , i would love to check it out at night. its still a very cool looking and grand building , i was not bothered by anyone and i wad maybe 50 feet from the main kirkbride.

All I can think of is "Session 9"......
Isn't this already condos? I heard they were pretty high priced. Anyone out there living in one? Now it is called Avalon Danvers.

from what i saw today the front entrance and part off the front wings are not condos yet. i also think they are high priced the real estate market is tough around here.i dont think anyone is living up there yet.

So you're saying some of the buildings are still standing and they're making them into condos? And there are still tunnels running under the buildings?

somewhat, what is still standing is what i believe to be the administration entrance and the wings to the left and right , however its just the shell . they more than likely filled in all the tunnels. they will build around the original brick

Yhea But if u hav been up there, They built it in the exact same position as it was like a circle that doesn't stop.

idk i kinda like da out side... but it was really wrong wat they did 2 da people i mean they went there 2 get help and u hurt them...early-style shock treatments hydrotherapy, lobotomies. they sed it was 2 control them but wat they were really doin was hurtin them... thanx god that lobotomies r against da law cus if any 1 tried 2 put a pin in mii eye they would b died (not really but u get da point )