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Plaque

The Ladd Center
1907-1993


Dr Joseph H. Ladd established the Exeter School for the Feebleminded on this site in 1907. He guided its development with dedication for 48 years. During its86 year history Ladd Center was home for 4,533 disabled men, women, and children who were cared for by skillful and compassionate employees. Ladd Center was closed in 1993 after alternative programs were established throughout Rhode Island. This alternative system of facilities was developed over a 15 year period with funds overwhelmingly approved by Rhode Island voters. Leadership in this major effort was provided by govenors J. Joseph Garrahy, Edward D. Diprete, and Bruce Sundlun; by the directors of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals, Joseph J. Bevilacqua, Thomas D. Romeo, and A. Kathryn Power, By the department's executive director Robert L. Carl, Jr.; and by The Arc, the Ladd Parents' Association, and MHRH staff.

Superintendents: 1907 - 1956 Dr. Joseph H. Ladd, 1956 - 1978 Dr. John G. Smith, 1979 - 1993 George W. Gunther Jr.
Park designed by Karen Hillman

Last person moved to a community based facility on March 25, 1994
comments

Please remember that the comments posted here are not the opinions of opacity.us or its affiliates.

Great set, as usual Motts!!! Thanks!
Tony C.
Wed 09-19-2007
Thanks you Mr. Motts for another great set!
Janice
Wed 09-19-2007
Thanks again Motts! Very interesting!
Jan
Wed 09-19-2007
THANKS U MOTTS! PICTURES ARE VERY COOL.
Debbie
Wed 09-19-2007
Thank you Motts!
Jude
Wed 09-19-2007
Great gallery! I can't wait for the next one! :)
Mel
Thu 09-20-2007
great set Motts one word for ya OHIO!!!
todd
Thu 09-20-2007
Great gallery. This seems unusual to have a "closing" plaque.
Mike
Mon 09-24-2007
I should have worded that better... how often do you find memorial plaques like this?
Mike
Mon 09-24-2007
I've seen a few at some state hospital cemeteries such as Danvers.
Motts
Mon 09-24-2007
Great gallery Motts. Will you please put up the Buffalo Central Terminal Gallery up when you can? I really love that place you know.
Ozzy
Mon 09-24-2007
fantastic as usual Mr. Motts thank you!
Joe
Tue 09-25-2007
Thank you, Motts, for another wonderful set!

And, thank you, Lynne, for contributing very interesting information on a few (now-not-so) oddities!
Michele
Wed 09-26-2007
Another wonderful set Mr. Motts!
Thanks for sharing
Jenny
Sun 09-30-2007
It's real nice to get back to the good olde US of A stuff! Another excellent set Motts!
Kristiara
Tue 10-02-2007
1 day and 3 years after I was born.
hamradio
Wed 10-03-2007
please check out the forum..
I have a question about exploring.
missouriman
Sun 10-07-2007
Nice set! Keep them coming!
Nemorov
Mon 10-08-2007
Great photos.
They really brought me back to probably a helpful place in its time, although these photos make it look very scary now.
safevoyage
Sun 10-21-2007
commpastionet my ass they probably labodamized half the people there
RJ
Sun 11-04-2007
how could a place like this leave behind such a tragic past.. it makes me so sad to even think what might have happened in these buildings that have been around for 100 years now!
Joelle
Mon 11-05-2007
"Last person moved to a community based facility on March 25, 1994"

That's exactly seven days after I was born... -shiver-
Aku
Mon 11-12-2007
MR MOTTS HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED COMING TO OHIO?
WE HAVE OUR OWN HAUNTED LITTLE REFORMATORY AND MANSFIELD PRISON.
XOKIDROCKOX2004@YAHOO.COM
DONNA
Sun 11-18-2007
really aku? haha, thats the day before my fourth! Motts, these shots are really good, i almost never find myself down near there, but ive always held a curiosity for the place, especially after my friends have one on photoshoots and (vandalism) trips there. Thanks for the look into TLC
Chris Squiggs
Fri 12-14-2007
Government's solution: put everyone out w/o meds or halfway house. Save time,save money.
Hey,it was bad in there.Always.All of them.Routinely.Unquestionably.
Thats' why our way is better.
Guitorman
Tue 12-18-2007
so, you have to thank Ronnie Reagan for closing these places.
otherwise no pics.
quin
Sat 01-12-2008
Your work is very much appreciated, and educational as there were things I was unaware of. Many Thanks.
Bill
Tue 01-15-2008
That is a wonderful way to remember everyone at the Ladd School.
Jeanette
Thu 01-31-2008
i live right next to the ladd school and i been there twice my friends been in there and its crazy they tell me alot about the place like in the hospitial. i am to scared to go in there because they said they here voices and things im getting belly aches just looking at pictures and stuff but my friend got pictures from it and theres some crazy pictures.
beba
Sat 03-01-2008
Nice pictures motts as usual.
Rman
Sat 03-01-2008
Thanks. That was a great ending and such a wonderful way to honor those who called this place home. Amazing gallery, as always....
Amazed
Sun 03-02-2008
Several have commented at the oddity that is a "closing" plaque. This is in Rhode Island. As a resident here, practically *every*thing needs a plaque or tag to put the "names" up of those responsible for the good work, be it a new construction, or a tear down/decommission.
Greg
Mon 05-19-2008
This place is truly haunted,saw lights shadow people,heard walking,the worst was things were being thrown at us like empty beer bottles and stones and there was no way a security guard can throw a empty bottle 30 feet away and it land only once! when no one was around!

Will be heading back up there this summer!

lanlegend@comcast.net
Erik
Thu 06-12-2008
Motts: thanks for another great gallery of photos....you do such great work.....Also I wanted to say thanks also how you allow us to comment on these pictures. On other web sites I've visited you cannot do this. So that is nice that you allow that. Also I appreciate all the hard work at finding out information about the site that you are working on. Some web sites usually only give a name but not knowledge of the site or what it was. So its nice to have information about this stuff. As well as when employee's commen or former patients or students etc. Its always nice to hear from others in regards to the places that you have documented with your wonderful photos. I just wanted to tell you that. It really makes your web site interesting...not just to look at but read too. Thanks again Motts...I still have many galleries yet to see....
blue lamp
Tue 08-05-2008
THANKS MOTTS, AWSOME AS ALWAYS!
monkey
Sun 09-07-2008
In my opinion the plaque represents a "tombstone' of sorts. The place died in 1994.
Tom
Thu 11-27-2008
Fantastic pictures. I've seen Ladd School, but only in the dark. it was refreshing to see it from someone else's point of view. it's too bad you couldn't have caught other buildings on film like gym which was probably the creepiest building before they tore it down. Very nice work.
K
Fri 12-19-2008
Are you kidding? Skillful and Compassionate employees?

They were HORRIBLE to these residents! Doing surgeries while they were awake because they were "Feeble minded" and couldnt feel any pain!
Do you know how many of these residents died from neglect? or abuse? And how many to this day are still scared from their experiences?

The employees at Ladd were awful, and horrible. They were far from how you're describing them
R.
Sun 03-08-2009
It has only been in the past 15 years or so that pediatric surgeons have been using anesthesia on any infants because they also thought that they "felt no pain," so don't get too excited about what people thought about in the MR/DD field 50 years ago - they thought the same thing about "normal" babies until just recently. Check out the following article that was in the New York Times as "recently" as 1992:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0CE1DC173CF931A35752C0A964958260

P.S. Do you know what the rate of abuse is in the community as compared to institutional facilities? Neither does anyone else, because you can't keep track of people as easily when they are so geographically disparate.

This is NOT a pitch for institutionalizing people by any stretch, it's a pitch for using the intellectual part of your brain as well as the emotional part. Read all of the introduction in which Motts states that he is quoting what is on the plaque at the Ladd School, rather than anything he might personally believe.
Lynne
Sun 03-08-2009
Well another adventure with Tom Kirsch AKA: Mr. Motts, and i think it is time for one more adventure, lets hope there is a really scary one i can find on here. This has been life with Mr .Motts LOL
kylie
Thu 04-02-2009
For the past ten years I've worked with gentlemen that have come from that ghastly place, and I thank God that organizations like Refocus, Gateways to Change and West Bay Residentials exist.
Mark
Thu 12-17-2009

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Memories and stories from past employees, visitors or patients are gratefully welcomed, they help keep these places alive!

 
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