The property was saved from redevelopment by a local nonprofit group, the Becket Land Trust, which has left the site largely untouched since operations ceased a half-century ago. After decades of financial success, business began to decline in the mid-20th century, until it abruptly shut down in the 1960s. Just keep in mind it is private property with active owners. People have reported full body apparitions, cold spots, slamming doors and some claim that the ghost has actually appeared and spoken to them. Despite being a successful farm and prison, the site was built in a low-lying drainage area and after repeated flooding, the prison camp was closed in 1934. Subjects were exposed to tracer doses of radioactive isotopes and tested their absorption of iron and calcium. Dogtown Square is one of the more unique abandoned places in Massachusetts. A haunted location: The Hoosac Tunnel in North Adams, Massachusetts. Whittenton Mills Complex is a historic textile mill built in 1805. Whats left?if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'urbexunderground_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',137,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-leader-1-0'); Much of the campus still stands with only three buildings being demolished. Many structures contain asbestos so use proper protection and avoid disturbing any debris. At the time of closure, many of the original buildings remained along with 200+ acres of surrounding farmland. 42.39304, -71.20514Photo Credit: Kurt uer.ca. North Adams, Massachusetts Natural Bridge State Park Naturally formed white marble arch housed in an abandoned marble quarry from the 1800s. There are a number of run-of-the-mill "campfire stories" about Snyder's Lake. The 110-acre site contained administration buildings, family and bachelor living quarters, a chapel, and a bowling alley. Remnants of vehicles, tools, machinery, and buildings are all still left behind and often covered in heavy vegetation. In the spring of 1914, the wealthy Houghton family bought their first car. Lovecraft's horror stories and Batman's Arkham Asylum is now a condominium complex. One of them is said to be artist William Morris Hunt, and another is a night watchman who perished in a fire in 1911. Franklin Park, a partially-wooded 527-acre nature park, was founded in 1912 in the city of Boston. Of all the abandoned places in Massachusetts, the Belchertown State School has the darkest and most tragic history. Many employees who lived at the facility, now jobless, stayed behind as caretakers for the now-abandoned property. It happened when French soldiers and Indians raided the area and hacked Eunice to death just hours after she had given birth. New wings were added to the original building and a new dining hall and chapel were built. 42.40135, -71.32918Photo Credit: Jenn Foreman Orth flickr.com. The physically handicapped were left in their beds all day, to suffer from bedsores and muscle loss.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'urbexunderground_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',162,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-banner-1-0'); In 1966, Massachusetts passed the Mental Health and Retardation Services Act which required institutions to transition to more human and ethical forms of treatment. The hospital was closed and abandoned in 1973 and is now senior citizens' condominiums. While there isnt a whole lot left, it provides a unique look at how prisons operated during the turn of the century. In addition to the negative press the boys school received, the state of Massachusetts was also being scrutinized for its care of the mentally ill. Offer subject to change without notice. The hospital was an impressive looking structure. The historic inn was built in 1884, and has been restored and renovated to its former glory by the current inn owners. Eva was known as the "I Don't Care" Girl because of her famous song. Folks have seen an unidentified Guptills Woods, and a certain nearby house off Pollock Road, are rumored to be haunted. The tunnel was built in the early 1900s as a part of a four Most of the land was sold to the National Parks Service and is now part of Cape Cod National Seashore Park. Witnesses claim to have seen mutilated apparitions and heard screams of the patients who passed away there long ago. Find out all the things you can For instance, healthy teeth were commonly removed from those who had bitten staff more than once. Visitors to Boston should check it out while they still can. This history-focused state park in North Adams is an interesting sight to see. Competition and mounting maintenance costs forced the owners to begin construction on a new hotel to replace the old Eyrie Hotel. At the time it was the second-longest tunnel in the world, but there were many gruesome deaths and accidents associated with its construction. This nightmare did have the consent of inmates parents or legal guardians but many of those insisted the study operators were less than forthcoming about the details of the medical experiment. The brownstone is said to be haunted by the ghost of an unknown woman in period clothing. The legend told about this building involves the mysterious disappearance of an Italian worker during its construction. Even before the mill was constructed the area had been used for industry dating all the way back to 1670. Guests From this old cemetery comes a chilling-but-sweet local legend about a man and wife who were buried here. In 1971, the facility became co-ed with two cottages now housing female juvenile delinquents. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Steeped in history and richly abundant in historical sites, todays urban explorers seek out new adventures in this old land. Most of the boys were left with household chores or watching television as the only way to pass the time. WebThey broke ground in 1851. The Eyrie House Ruins are all that remains of an old hotel that first opened in 1861. Legends say that the Native Americans believed this place to be cursed and used it as a burial ground. Believing this to be the best way to advance society and improve the human race, Fernald undertook a separating of the masses, not allowing unwanted and inferior people to reproduce. Share this page. Perhaps the most striking component of the ruins is the reconstructed guy derrick, with its 55-foot mast and 50-foot boom. Unlike other psychiatrists of the time, Dr. Paine believed insanity could be cured by embracing a homeopathic treatment plan. The hotel was run by the Walworth Brothers who had other businesses in manufacturing throughout Boston. Critics bitterly referred to the hospitals as palaces for the insane. The master-matron model was discontinued, replaced by guards. Some notable patients included serial killer Jane Toppan, a nurse who confessed to killing 31 patients with medication overdoses; she was committed to the hospital for life. Cohoes Music Hall was where she made her debut--and was booed offstage. This dam in the woods, built by Henry Ford with only manpower and oxen, holds no water and serves no purpose. There are a few people associated with Turn Hall that were members that have passed away that have also been reported to have been seen George Clough of Boston was hired to remodel the building and turn it into a hospital for the insane. In 1998, Quaker Oats, Harvard, and MIT settled a massive civil lawsuit regarding radiation experimentation. 42.3524, -71.06673Photo Credit: messynesschic.com. During 1963 the northern section of the tunnel was redeveloped and ultimately filled in to support the new Boston City Hall that was being built above it. Trade Unions protested the use of free child labor and in 1956 the farming ceased and the work animals were sold off. By the 1930s, over 2,000 mentally ill patients were crammed into every available space. Named for the third superintendent, Walter E. Fernald, this mental institution was to become infamous for its eugenics-obsessed warden and illegal radiation testing. She is said to hang out near the headstones on the top of the hill. Worcester State Hospital was an insane asylum built following the famous Kirkbride principle wings spread wide from the central administration building, one wing housing male patients, the other wing, female patients. In the 1700s Massachusetts experienced the American Revolutionary War. This nearly 5-mile-long tunnel was dug out of the mountains of western Massachusetts between 1851 and Look no further than our two top recommendations, theCanon EOS 90Dand theNikon D7500. The Tremont Street subway is the oldest subway in North America dating back to 1890. During its peak, the hospital could hold 2,200 residents. Built in 1903 to house petty criminals and drunks, the prison was also a fully functioning 150-acre farm. According to local legend, playwright Peter Bergman had a ghostly encounter while visiting here. Opened as a country park, the facility brings together scenic views of the city with secluded woodlands, picnic areas, and 15 miles of pedestrian and bridle paths to explore. There are plenty of places I kept off this list so get out there and explore. Today these stones are one of the last remaining signs that anything other than the forest was ever here. Built on a tranquil farm north of Taunton on 154 acres, this sprawling hospital expanded and enlarged over the years to finally include over 40 buildings and other structures such as a greenhouse and power plant. Built in 1950 as a radar listening station to monitor Soviet bombers, the base was home to the Air Forces 762nd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron. In 1878 a riot broke out exposing cruel and unusual punishments received by the boys. It was a seven-passenger Pierce-Arrow touring car, and the familys long-time chauffeur John Widders was instructed to learn to drive it. Choosing one may prove to be hard, so visit them all. Today, the Gothic spires and central tower built in the 1800s, are incorporated into the modern residential community. Webdocument Header Notification for Removal or Closure of an In Place Storage Tank Health Department 13 documents. Like our previous location, parts of the movie Shutter Island were filmed on location in 2008. Additional structures were built on the campus to alleviate overcrowding and the Bryan Building (known as Camp Joy) was opened. Powered by revize, the Government Website Experts | Login. Its definitely a unique spot and is even more captivating in the fall months. Sometimes claw marks are left behind. In 1927 the station was slated for demolition, but Lawyer Henry Aldrich wanted the tower saved. WebMultiple deaths haunt the halls of the Houghton Mansion in North Adams If youre nearby Id definitely stop by to see this wild attraction. Maintained by the citys Parks and Recreation Department, the park was designated a Boston Landmark in 1980. Now, the Van Schaick Family Cemetery contains more than 50 relatives are buried in the cemetery near the historic house. While repairs ensued, many of the younger boys were housed in the old mill while the older boys were sent to sea to work on several prison ships. Internet popularity made the hospital one of the most famous abandoned sites in Massachusetts. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Since the 17th-century explorers have been drawn to this state. By 1828 the village was abandoned. These cramped conditions led to sexual and physical abuse amongst the children and their caretakers. The school was named for its principal benefactor, Theodore Lyman, philanthropist and mayor of Boston in 1834. The scenic views of Lake Chauncy and the hilltop location made it a favorable location. Urban explorers discovered the site was easily accessible and relatively untouched since its closure. Despite receiving approval from the city in 2019, the plan never came to fruition, and the decrepit structure was again placed on the market in late 2020. In 1692, the town of Salem experienced the mass-hysteria we now call the Salem Witch Trials. 42.27711, -72.41463if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'urbexunderground_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',160,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-medrectangle-3-0');Photo Credit: Jonathan Haeber flickr.com. All rights reserved. The station remains vacant and will probably remain so since much of it contains asbestos siding and flooring tiles, and a serious black mold problem. The neo-classical Taunton State Hospital, originally named the State Lunatic Hospital at Taunton, was designed and built by the Boyden and Ball Architectural Firm in 1854. Finally, after 70 years in operation, the school shut down in 1992. It is the biggest park in Boston and the site of the Franklin Park Zoo. Societys view of the mentally ill and their treatment changed over the years expanding the definition of mental illness and increasing hospitalizations and commitments to the facility. The subway was built to alleviate automobile congestion above ground. To access the preserve, take Route 20 to Becket. Passing through a hill on the northeast side of the reservoir, the tunnel opened to rail traffic in June 1903 as part of a 105-mile route for the Central Massachusetts Railroad, which connected the cities of Boston and Northampton. Youre in the right place. Nearby, Highland Light still warns ships of the treacherous cliffs, as it has since 1870. Many elements of the Kirkbride building were sold or auctioned off, including timber, marble, iron gates, antique plumbing fixtures, and slate roofing tiles. The rubble was cleared and an effort was made to salvage parts of the remaining hospital, such as the iconic clock tower. The Annex went dormant for several years after the war ended, but was reactivated during the Korean War as a storage site for several of the Navys experimental nuclear depth charges. Worcester State Hospital. To access the tunnel, visitors can park near the Wachusett Reservoir dam and walk northeast along Route 62 until a crumbling stone trestle comes into view. The situation at the school became even more deplorable when medical experimentation began there in the 1940s and 50s. Two friends were reported to have been looking out a bedroom window into the gym and seeing unusual things. Inspiring Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau, Mount Greylock in western Massachusetts is the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet above sea level. If you are on the hunt for a great respirator to more safely observe some of these incredible abandoned places in Massachusetts, we highly recommend the3M 6800for a full-face option and theNorth 7700if you would prefer a half-face option. 42.4053, -71.6837. It was here that he was shot to death in 1931, in a small upstairs room. WebFreetown-Fall River State Forest is better known locally as The Cursed Forest of Massachusetts! The road runs through the cemetery, with part of it lying on either sode. Original stone buildings, abandoned and crumbling, are now decorated with colorful graffiti. The former home of Albert Charles Houghton and his family, the Houghton Mansion is now being used as a Masonic temple. The patient population continuously dwindled until its closure in 2014. Originally a school for boys of low IQ, it was transformed into a place to warehouse children many of whom had normal IQs but were simply orphaned or poor. Just all urbex all the time. For more about obtaining permission to explore abandoned places in Massachusetts, check out our guide Explore Abandoned Buildings: How To Get Permission. It sat vacant for another 20 years until developer Alexandra Partners announced a proposal to restore the historic structures crumbling faade and add a 13-story hotel tower onto the existing building. While on paper his philosophy applied only to the mentally-retarded, in practice this spread to include the abandoned, unwanted, and the poor. Massachusetts is rich in history and abundant in abandoned sites. Some of the buildings at Sage College in Albany were once a part of the Albany Home for Children; rumor has it that shallow graves were found during some campus construction. Instead of following the classic Kirkbride layout, architects designed the buildings in the New Cottage style. The owners deemed the cost of upgrading to code would be too costly. Even so, the commune failed to generate enough revenue to sustain itself, and the experiment was abandoned in 1847. The original depot was the primary supplier of ammunition to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet during World War II, with more than 2,000 civilian employees as well as more than 700 naval officers and 375 Marine guards working on-site. While this might not be your typical idea of an abandoned location, I still thought it was an oddity worth mentioning. Among The building continued its slow decline over the decades that followed, despite being part of the South End Landmark District established in 1983. There are many famous abandoned places in Massachusetts to satisfy your curiosity and taste for adventure. Fords Folly was named after none other than Henry Ford who tried to build a town here in 1923. Unlike other abandoned asylums this empty institution welcomes visitors, just don't go in the buildings. 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