“Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded” (yeah, that’s what it was called) is a big, thick black mark on the history of education and medical care in our state. The story of this abandoned asylum in Massachusetts is deeply chilling. Even if you are already familiar with the tragic tale, peeking within the decaying walls will give you an entirely new perspective on the dark story.
Take a look at these chilling photos of the ruins of this horrific asylum:
The Belchertown State School first opened in 1922, and the campus included 10 large buildings and many smaller facilities, comprising 57 structures in total.
Matthew Hester/Flickr Many of the buildings were originally old farmhouse cottages, and five local farms were actually purchased to make way for the school.
At the time, the classification of state school meant “a facility tending to individuals who were deemed mentally ill” or “defective.”
Pioneer Magazine/Flickr There wasn’t actually any real element of education at these so-called “schools.” In fact, they were agencies of horror.
At first, the community welcomed the institution.
Matthew Hester/Flickr Residents were supportive of the opportunity to create new jobs, and changing attitudes towards the mentally ill meant that doctors would frequently tell families that it was far better to commit their mentally ill or developmentally disabled child than to allow them to live at home.
Many people sent to state schools were not truly developmentally disabled, but were considered “undesirable” for reasons such as alcoholism, juvenile behavior issues, or anger problems.
Matthew Hester/Flickr The residents at Belchertown were primarily children or young people.
For the first 40 years or so of its operation, no one really investigated conditions at the Belchertown State School.
Matthew Hester/Flickr The campus was spread over 845 acres of farmland, and was originally meant to hold a maximum of 400 students. However, the school would eventually be crammed with over 1,500 residents at its highest.
When the school finally came under intense scrutiny in the 1970s, conditions had deteriorated horrifically from bad to much worse.
Matthew Hester/Flickr Local judge Joseph L. Tauro, who would be a loud voice in the campaign to close the school, described the institution as a “warehouse for humans.”
The conditions were beyond appalling.
Matthew Hester/Flickr After visiting the school and touring the grounds, the judge described such terrible scenes as young children drinking out of overflowing toilets, patients strapped to beds covered in insects and vermin, and young people who had their teeth removed to make it easier for attendants to feed them.
Patients were reported as wandering the ground unsupervised, smearing feces on furniture and walls, and banging their heads against the ground or the sides of buildings.
Matthew Hester/Flickr The staff was so overwhelmed (or perhaps so uncaring) that they had simply stopped dressing or bathing some patients and allowed them to walk around in the nude.
In the 2004 book, Crimes Against Humanity: A Historical Perspective, Benjamin Ricci described the horrors he witnessed while visiting his son at the school.
Matthew Hester/Flickr He claimed to have seen “maggots wriggling inside or crawling out of the infected ears” of patients left helpless in their beds.
Multiple human rights violations were filed against the school.
Flickr/Matthew Hester In 1971, the Springfield Union newspaper ran an article that served as the final nail in the school’s coffin. It described the terrible conditions at the institution, and urged the community to support its closure.
…and support it they did.
Matthew Hester/Flickr The school finally closed in 1992, exactly 70 years after it opened. The grounds of the former school are now deserted, and many of the buildings have been demolished. Nobody would want to remember their time here.
However, some structures still remain, and so too do the horrible memories within.
Matthew Hester/Flickr Their weathered interiors have decayed enough to match the ugliness of the stories that emerged from this troubled institution.
The school is located at 6 Berkshire Avenue, Belchertown. However, the property is currently off-limits to visitors, and exploring the grounds is considered illegal trespassing. Nature is now reclaiming what is left of this terrible place. If you’re interested in exploring some other abandoned places in Massachusetts, check out this road trip that will take you to decaying spots across the state!
Matthew Hester/Flickr
Many of the buildings were originally old farmhouse cottages, and five local farms were actually purchased to make way for the school.
Pioneer Magazine/Flickr
There wasn’t actually any real element of education at these so-called “schools.” In fact, they were agencies of horror.
Residents were supportive of the opportunity to create new jobs, and changing attitudes towards the mentally ill meant that doctors would frequently tell families that it was far better to commit their mentally ill or developmentally disabled child than to allow them to live at home.
The residents at Belchertown were primarily children or young people.
The campus was spread over 845 acres of farmland, and was originally meant to hold a maximum of 400 students. However, the school would eventually be crammed with over 1,500 residents at its highest.
Local judge Joseph L. Tauro, who would be a loud voice in the campaign to close the school, described the institution as a “warehouse for humans.”
After visiting the school and touring the grounds, the judge described such terrible scenes as young children drinking out of overflowing toilets, patients strapped to beds covered in insects and vermin, and young people who had their teeth removed to make it easier for attendants to feed them.
The staff was so overwhelmed (or perhaps so uncaring) that they had simply stopped dressing or bathing some patients and allowed them to walk around in the nude.
He claimed to have seen “maggots wriggling inside or crawling out of the infected ears” of patients left helpless in their beds.
Flickr/Matthew Hester
In 1971, the Springfield Union newspaper ran an article that served as the final nail in the school’s coffin. It described the terrible conditions at the institution, and urged the community to support its closure.
The school finally closed in 1992, exactly 70 years after it opened. The grounds of the former school are now deserted, and many of the buildings have been demolished. Nobody would want to remember their time here.
Their weathered interiors have decayed enough to match the ugliness of the stories that emerged from this troubled institution.
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Address: 6 Berkshire Ave, Belchertown, MA 01007, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Asylum in Massachusetts March 05, 2021 Tori Jane Where is Belchertown State School in Massachusetts? Originally called the “Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded” (which is terrible now, but keep in mind that it was absolutely built in a different time when different standards of what was socially acceptable existed), it was established in Belchertown, Massachusetts, in 1922. Although the building still stands today, it stands entirely abandoned, rotting away as time chips at it. It’s located at 6 Berkshire Avenue, Belchertown, Massachusetts, 01007. What are some abandoned places in Massachusetts? Other than the abandoned asylum in Massachusetts, other interesting abandoned places include the Clinton Railroad Tunnel in Clinton, which was built in the place of a large burial site in the 1800s and just might be haunted as a result, Fort Revere in Hull, Massachusetts, which was in use during the Revolutionary War but stands derelict now, and the empty-but-awesome Dogtown in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which might just be our favorite ghost town. For more creepy Massachusetts goodness, consider taking this road trip. What are the best creepy places in Massachusetts? Well, “the best” is definitely objective, but we’ve got some favorites for sure. Luckily for us, Massachusetts is insanely rich when it comes to history, and it’s got the ghost stories to match. Perhaps the most famous creepy place in Massachusetts is Salem, where the infamous Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1690s. The entire town is thought to be haunted, but among the most haunted places, there are the Salem State College, the Salem Jail, and, of course, the Salem Hospital. Another top pick for a best creepy place in Massachusetts probably goes to Fall River, and the bed and breakfast which was once the scene of the grisly “Lizzie Borden” axe murders in 1892. She was acquitted, and nobody really knows who actually killed her parents, but we’re sure the ghosts here probably do.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Asylum in Massachusetts
March 05, 2021
Tori Jane
Where is Belchertown State School in Massachusetts? Originally called the “Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded” (which is terrible now, but keep in mind that it was absolutely built in a different time when different standards of what was socially acceptable existed), it was established in Belchertown, Massachusetts, in 1922. Although the building still stands today, it stands entirely abandoned, rotting away as time chips at it. It’s located at 6 Berkshire Avenue, Belchertown, Massachusetts, 01007. What are some abandoned places in Massachusetts? Other than the abandoned asylum in Massachusetts, other interesting abandoned places include the Clinton Railroad Tunnel in Clinton, which was built in the place of a large burial site in the 1800s and just might be haunted as a result, Fort Revere in Hull, Massachusetts, which was in use during the Revolutionary War but stands derelict now, and the empty-but-awesome Dogtown in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which might just be our favorite ghost town. For more creepy Massachusetts goodness, consider taking this road trip. What are the best creepy places in Massachusetts? Well, “the best” is definitely objective, but we’ve got some favorites for sure. Luckily for us, Massachusetts is insanely rich when it comes to history, and it’s got the ghost stories to match. Perhaps the most famous creepy place in Massachusetts is Salem, where the infamous Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1690s. The entire town is thought to be haunted, but among the most haunted places, there are the Salem State College, the Salem Jail, and, of course, the Salem Hospital. Another top pick for a best creepy place in Massachusetts probably goes to Fall River, and the bed and breakfast which was once the scene of the grisly “Lizzie Borden” axe murders in 1892. She was acquitted, and nobody really knows who actually killed her parents, but we’re sure the ghosts here probably do.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Originally called the “Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded” (which is terrible now, but keep in mind that it was absolutely built in a different time when different standards of what was socially acceptable existed), it was established in Belchertown, Massachusetts, in 1922. Although the building still stands today, it stands entirely abandoned, rotting away as time chips at it. It’s located at 6 Berkshire Avenue, Belchertown, Massachusetts, 01007.
What are some abandoned places in Massachusetts?
Other than the abandoned asylum in Massachusetts, other interesting abandoned places include the Clinton Railroad Tunnel in Clinton, which was built in the place of a large burial site in the 1800s and just might be haunted as a result, Fort Revere in Hull, Massachusetts, which was in use during the Revolutionary War but stands derelict now, and the empty-but-awesome Dogtown in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which might just be our favorite ghost town. For more creepy Massachusetts goodness, consider taking this road trip.
What are the best creepy places in Massachusetts?
Well, “the best” is definitely objective, but we’ve got some favorites for sure. Luckily for us, Massachusetts is insanely rich when it comes to history, and it’s got the ghost stories to match. Perhaps the most famous creepy place in Massachusetts is Salem, where the infamous Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1690s. The entire town is thought to be haunted, but among the most haunted places, there are the Salem State College, the Salem Jail, and, of course, the Salem Hospital. Another top pick for a best creepy place in Massachusetts probably goes to Fall River, and the bed and breakfast which was once the scene of the grisly “Lizzie Borden” axe murders in 1892. She was acquitted, and nobody really knows who actually killed her parents, but we’re sure the ghosts here probably do.
