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Wow, what a hallway! I love it!

What does the grafitti say? I got the first three words, but can't make out the last one(s).

Into photoshop we go, and the grafitti is...

"Best f**k wit twister"

Twister? Please help with that last word.

I think it says "Don't fuck wit - - " and then I can't read the last word - prolly the name of some folks who thought they were pretty darn big kids on the block, I am guessing. :-)

This a beautiful shot, I have walked this hall way many time in the past 2 weeks.
It also is one of the ones with less derbies in it.

Well hell, I'm late and look at all the fun I've been missing. Yep, Lynne's here and I'm glad! :)

Mr. Motts I adore this hallway pic, and what a sad thing, your "first and last" visit to this place.

It just came over the local news that Dixmont is on fire right now. Fire crews have just been called out.

Oh, no! I know they're going to tear it down, but that is still upsetting!

Here is what is on the news website. http://www.thepittsbur.../5266625/detail.html

It sure isn't much yet. You can see the fire burning through the roof on the tv report. I find it upsetting too. Glad Motts got to take the photos before this!

Well, as you all know.It is with sadness I write this. Early this morning around 5:45 am a fire broke out at Dixmont, At 6:10 am the fire department was called and on the scene within 4 minutes. The fire started on the 4th floor in the male ward. It was a section of the roof and eves that burned. It was a small hallway that connected different parts of the 4th floor together, and where some small rooms were for utilities. The work crew that got there at 5:30 am said the roof was strike by lightening. Well, if that's not a big lie I don't know what is, because the sky's were clear here in Pittsburgh this am.
I went over after work to get some pictures.

The fire damage was not all that bad. It was a section of roof that was about the size of 10ft by 30ft. It was contained pretty quick, and under control in about 30 minutes. I did get some grate pictures of the fire area. I wonder if Motts would post them?
This saddens me.

Truckie is absolutely correct in everything he has reported. There were no further updates since they got the fire out rather quickly. When I first told you about the fire it had only just been reported. There wasn't much information available about the fire. And, like Truckie said, the skies were clear over Pittsburgh today. I would like to know where that "lightning strike" came from.

I thought so! Are you thinking arson, AM? Or just dry old wood. Probably no one really cares as we do, because they're going to tear the old lady down soon. so sad : (

If I had to take a guess I would have to arson. Because like I have said I have been through the building many times in the last 3 weeks, and I have not seen any sings of anybody livening there. No garbage or small fires like someone was or would be cooking or anything. When I looked in the crawl space's where the utilities ran and part of the fire was, I did not see any garbage or sings of someone livening there either.
If I here anything else I will let you all know.

Thanks, Truckie. Maybe someone was trying to give her a Viking funeral (more fitting than bulldozers and wrecking balls?) : )

My guess would be arson too. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to everyone. Been a long hard day. Spent most of it at Children's Hospital.

Dixmont is on fire again! It just came over the news. They say it is nearly contained but that it was a 2 alarm fire.

Well, where's our Truckie to save the place? And what about my poor defenseless derbies again? 8`-(

I am sorry to hear that we are losing a landmark, in this manner.
I sincerely hope that there was noone in the building when the blaze began, and that if there were, they were able to make a safe exit.

Lynne. I was not there today but I had herd about the fire early this morning. It was a house that sat on the edge of the property. Don't worry your derbies are safe. I will get some pictures tomorrow and post them on my web site.

Any updates on the demolition?

Uhh...Once again...any updates.

Thanks :)

I have not heard anything, myself. Truckie, are you out there? Cyrus there are some really cool historical shots of Dixmont when it was in operation....it's on the ohiotrespassers site, if you are interested. It was actually a very self-sufficient place, and quite pretty.

Ask and ye shall receive. I just got back from there. I was over there on business.
Well, they have started to tear down the medical building, it is almost all tour down. Just a small part of it is standing, but they still got a lot of clean up to do at that building. They have started to place temporary lighting in the basement of Reed Hall so they can start to remove the asbestos. There is a lot of dirt moving going on now. The cafeteria is still standing.
Here is a web site that will keep you pretty well posted in what is going on, and some really good photos.
There is even a 5 minute video from back in 1996 when all the windows were still in place and the benches were there all. It was beautiful.
Here is the link, let me know what you think.
Thanks
http://www.dixmont.info

Yeah, that's kind of a shame. Wow, alot has happened since I was at this site last.

Hiya Truckie. Thanks for the site. Such a bittersweet view of a place that deserved better. Is that our Ohio River in the background? Appreciate you!

Thanks truckie and twug!!!

Wow, you CAN see the Ohio, PIttsburgh and Rte 65 on a lot of those photos. And, alas, are those pics of the room we were all going to go into together (the curtain room)?

Hi Twug yes that is or was the room. We will have to find another room now.
Yes, it is a shame to lose the firs mental hospital ever built in this manner. To tell ya the truth it sucks.
Yes, you have one hell of a view from up at the site. I will try to keep ya up to date as much as possible. Did you down load the video and see some of the windows in Reed Hall? It makes me sad to watch it.

I saw it all, and I thank you. It is sad as hell.

You are most welcome, Cyrus. Are you from that area?

Awesome link Truckie. RIP DSH.

Hey, marty.

Hi Twug (wiping tears away).

Thanks for the link, Truckie, it is so sad to see all that equipment ready to tear the place down.

thats bullshit!

Hey Truckie did they take down a smoke stack ?
i think it was on the news

bdhsnake I just herd they dropped the stack today. Well, you all herd before I did it seems. I just got in from work. I was in Ohio all day. If I here anything else I will post it.
Very sad.:( :(

It was on KDKA, bdhsnake. Did you see it, Truckie? It wasn't an exciting event, by any stretch, but the worst is, they plan to have it all down by sometime in January

Basterds

Stack is now gone, along with the Hutchinson building.

Just a small part of the Huch building is still standing. I was looking at it today from across the river.
The demolition contractor is butting heads with everyone on the job. Its a pretty messy situation right now. The company doing the site work is really cool, grate people to work with.

Pardon my inaccurate statement!

Any updates now?

(Sorry if I'm being rude, by the way!)

Cyrus No, you are not being rude.
Still a small part of the medical building standing. Not to much work done today. I do know they plan on using explosives to blow the ground, but don't know when. I have not been up back this week and do not know if they started on the cafeteria yet.

Truckie,
Thanks for the link, a lot of interesting photos there, the 1996 video is a must see, especially the shot of the portico when it was still intact.

The Dixmont end times is nearing...

so u know when it will be all gone... i was planning on doing my senior project there.

She will be gone in late January, early February : ( : ( : (

If you're going to go up there, you better try to get permission first. The cops are being serious about people trespassing on the site and are now arresting people just for being there.

yeah thats part of the project. i have to have an authority figure with me. of course it is near right impossible to get on the site..... with the cops and all, but i may be able to get on np, but since i have a team with me, i will get the cops involved, plus if something happens and we need emergancy help, it will be good to have them there

wow looks like i will have to go to warrendale now.... man..... we don;t get approved till late feb.

hey do u think even though the building is being torn down that the spirtis will stop haunting the building. Their grave is being destroyed basically. Most likely the wal mart will not have any buisness. It will be haunted and the spirits will have pay back

I was just on the job site today and was informed they may start on Reed Hall this week, and the last building that will come down will be the cafeteria. If you want to go over there you need to see the superintendent. He is pretty cool to deal with. He don't care if your there as long as you let him know, its when you don't let him know that he get a little bent out of shape.
As far as the spirits go I do believe they will stay. I don't remember where I herd it or red it but they will occupy the ground for the time being.

thanks again. It would figure Reed Hall would. I actually wanted to go there cause Reed is my last name. Though it might be cool. Yeah i will talk to his asap. i'll post the date up here if i can go there and if others want to join me then that would be great.

Haunted WalMart!!!!

:-)

can u say fun! Add some more things to the top 100 things to do in a walmart..... ghost hunt

I saw this and thought of Dixmont:
http://www.cafepress.com/bnfilms.30648610
T-Shirt: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price logo on the front. "How May I help you... destroy this community?" and Evil Smiley on the back.

Heck, we could all wear them when we finally have a gathering, at Danvers perhaps?

me and my friends are from washington. We just recently took a trip up to the place. It's really sad to see the place go. It was really cool. We went at night so we wouldn't get any trouble from authority. And let me tell you we experienced some pretty amazing phenomenon with sounds and stange things happening.

Everything is almost gone. Anybody know why they haven't completed the demo yet. And what about the underground tunnels.

Stare girl-YES. I'm IN FOR IT! That sounds like an amazing idea! Although demolition has already begun at Davners. =(. I wish they wouldn't touch that goddamn Kirkbride. I can understand the other buildings, but that Krikbride...the main structure is just so beautiful.

its no fair that it has to go.. it one of the best placed to investigate and there is so much history in there... i really hope that the new walmart is haunted... they are destroying a grave and all... since people obviously died there.

S A STUDENT NURSE AT DIXMONT IN 1972,I HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES OF THE PLACE. ITS ASHAMED IT WASN'T TAKEN OVER BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY EARLY. SO SAD TO SEE SUCH A PART OF HISTORY FALL TO SUCH RUIN.

P.S. YES PATIENTS DIED AND WERE ACTUALLY BURIED ON THE PROPERTY

there is going to be problems there then. Alot of them. since there is destruction of graves. my friends mom worked there for a little bit and she did tell us that there were unmarked graves

i was apart of the demolition crew who tore down dixmont. i was apart of the asbestos adbatment that had to be done before the building could be demolished. labor local 373 out of pittsburgh.

Thought you guys might want to know about this. Sorry, I posted this in the wrong place earlier.
http://www.post-gazett...264/723686-54.stm;

[admin edit: fixed link]

For some reason that link didn't work. Anyway, the whole site of the former Dixmont was completely covered by a massive landslide a few weeks ago. For any of you who may believe the place was haunted, this may be some fuel for thought. Just search "dixmont" and "landslide" for more info. creeeepy...

Sweet!
Opacity pictures used on local news
http://kdka.com/local/...story_292190401.html
it's from Oct but I just found it. What the video, they're in there.

So walmart had the kahutzfa to not only tear down a beautifull old historic building but to top it off they built one of their crappy arse stores ontop of a grave yard? The nearve of them!

The graveyard has been untouched.

Did anybody watch the news in the link? I forgot about it. It's pretty neat Opacity pictures were posted. Your famous Motts!

Now a blue light special....

My sister was being trained there in the 60's.She was taken on a tour with other new trainees through the underground tunnels. The patients were (roomed) there at one time. iIthink she had said the violent ones.I'm not sure. Any how there was still a patient in the hospital that was there when the underground cells were used. A lot of patients would be all in one cell, some even chained. they were hosed down with fire hoses either weekly or monthly. It was before the bathrooms were put in down in there. She was told all of this. The man that was in one of the underground cells at one time and was still there in the 60's was committed in 1903. They were all told that too.
I went pass the place a lot in the Summer of 1993,the sign was hanging on it's broken chain on one side old and rusty looking. The first time I put in my mind that I wanted to see the place, but I never got around to. I knew that the place held a lot of history and I too was totally disgusted when I heard of it being sold and that it was to be demolished. When it was demolised I was saddened. It was such a grand old place and should've been preserved for it's historical value.
Well, walmart has gotten their just desserts lol. No one will ever be able to use the land. The people who lived, worked and died there still have the property.

of course I hope everyone knows that i meant that the patient that was therevsince 1903 was in a regular room in the 60's and wayyyy before. He was in the underground cells when they were being used long long before the 1960's.
Also the trainees were told never to try to go through the underground tunnels, because they would get lost. The tour was in a mapped out part.

My Grandmother was in Dixmont from 1925 until she died in 1984. I hated to go their and I, for one, am glad they are tearing it down. There was nothing pretty about that place. I would see my grandmother come out of a door, while we sat on benches that looked like Dixmont had gotten them from a church. I remember the walls were an off white, When she would come out the door she would sometimes have scratches and cuts from fights she was in. I hated Dixmont and I'm glad they tore it down! To me there is nothing to preserve.

Wow. This is very beautiful! I love the light

As do I, as do I.

With all the landslides and demolition, were the rumors of unmarked graves found to be true? Were there any human bones found? If so, did the media report on it? If not, was the media paid off by Walmart to keep their mouths shut?