I came across a website I thought many of you might enjoy. These are old buildings that were all at least partially demolished, many photos of I think three different buildings. Two appear to be asylums and one was a children's home. A lot of history in places like this, especially before there were laws and regulations enforced to protect the people housed in them. I found at least one interesting shot so far, maybe just reflections but I'll wait to post to see what other people spot first. Here's the link. If anything, they are interesting to look at. Such great old architecture, especially on the Clinton Valley Center, hate to see it's gone.

Wow, cool photos! Thanks for sharing. I couldn't see anything, of course.

Awww, nobody found anything? What about in this one:



Reflection?

I found another site with abandoned building pics, which also has lots of photos and info on haunted locations here. To see the building section select it from the drop down on the bottom of the page.

Cool photos - I see where you're coming from but I think it's a reflection.

I wouldn't like to go to any of these places

Thanks for posting the link to the second site too.

I haven't even had a chance to look at them yet ....b

Nifty pictures - thanks for sharing!

I posted some pics of the old state mental hospital here in Kansas, or what is left of it. The best building, a Kirkbride similar to that one, has already been demolished.

Y'all might be interested in this:

http://www.asylumprojects.org/states.html

A little Frankenstein looking lol. It could be a reflection, there is obviously some trees around going by the branch in the corner.

Thanks for the link...A few of these alternate names for the hospitals were horrible...

Onondaga County Poorhouse

There's an old abandoned building here in my county... gives me the creeps whenever I drive by it.

Here's the story from the website....

On November 10, 1831, an 8-year-old girl named Dorlaskie Wilkinson was admitted to the Onondaga County Poor House on Onondaga Hill. Imagine an 8-year-old girl who has just had her whole life turned upside-down by some terrible calamity, and now she's been brought to stay in this cold, forbidding looking building. THE POOR HOUSE! She'd heard people talk about the Poor House and it wasn't a place she'd ever dreamed of seeing. Who would cherish and care for her here?.......

Deaths at the Poor House.

Deaths and burials of inmates seem to have been handled in two ways. Early on, the Poor House buried their own dead behind the Poor House complex on what has been called "Poor House Knoll" or "Bunker Hill". During epidemics we know they were buried there in mass graves. There is also a one-acre plot called Willow Grove behind the Walnut Grove Cemetery on Onondaga Hill that was a county burial ground for some years before the present Loomis Hill Cemetery. Deaths of inmates were kept on 2 pages at the back of the earliest ledger, 1827-1831. The next ledger, 1831-1836, contains one page of Deaths. By 1896, continuing through 1973, the deaths are listed in 4 separate ledgers. One page shows several deceased inmates were picked up by Syracuse Medical College. Pasted inside the back cover is the State Law which said, in essence, that corpses not claimed by relatives or friends within 24 hours after notice of death, were to be sent to the nearest medical college for the purpose of teaching medicine, anatomy or surgery.

Click here for more of the poorhouse story

Thanks for the pictures, abandoned buildings always intrigue me~

Back in my old town when I used to live in Illinois, there was this abandoned mental hospital.. It was closed off for being an "asbestos danger" and because it was dilapidated and falling apart, and the area was seriously patrolled by police 24 hours a day, giving everyone a 200$ ticket if they're found near the property. That didn't stop everyone from trying to break into it though haha.. everyone in my high school always fantasized about going ghost hunting in there. And though I never got a chance to sneak in there myself (pity), I had heard a lot of stories about others' run-ins, like doors creaking, chains rattling, crying, footsteps on the broken glass, etc. And all seem quite possible, given the hospital's history, especially in the several underground tunnels which apparently had cells where they chained the more severely mentally ill people up, not to mention there are four separate cemetaries on the grounds as well.

One of my friends at the time was doing a documentary on the place for some class, and I got to go with her to help videotape and take pictures of the outside (we got police document to let us on the grounds), and the whole place just gave you the feeling like you were being watched, you know? And they just left everything there..we snuck around the back and peeked into the back kitchen entrance, and there were still pots and trays and carts scattered around, beds still in the rooms.. And out back there was also a barrel, and we opened it and it was filled with honest to god real rusted shackle restraints, it was crazy.. And also in the cemetary there's this one famous tree, and it's so obviously dead and has been for years, but NO violent weather has ever affected it at all, and though companies have tried to remove it, they've all failed somehow or another, whether the machines stalled or they got freaked out because the tree will wail and cry if cut with anything.

One of the well-known stories of the place is that the grave digger who worked there, after he died, his spirit went into the tree, and was said to be seen weeping there during his funeral..

My friend and I didn't really run into anything paranormal, and I'm sorry I don't have any of the pictures we took..I'll try to see if I can get in touch with her again and have her send me some of them.

But here are a few random pictures of the place



There is the back kitchen entrance we went through



More pictures here: http://www.eco-absence.org/il/bartonville/


Apparently it is more popular than I realized? haha, it even has its own wikipedia page..perhaps you have heard of it, the Bartonville State Asylum?
I would love to see some ghost show check it out

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Years ago Geraldo Rivera did a big segment on Greystone Psychiatric Park, located here in Jersey...It was so overcrowded and filthy that he advocated to have it shut down...Here's a little info. on it.

Greystone, later known as "Gravestone" first opened it's doors to a mere 292 patients in 1876. In it's day, Greystone was a landmark in progressivism. The hospital advocated uncrowded conditions, fresh air, and the notion that mental patients were curable people. It was also known for it's network of underground tunnels and rails.
Over time, the humane reputation of Greystone was tarnished, as overcrowding became the norm (the hospital, which was originally meant to house hundreds, contained 7674 patients in 1953.) Overcrowdiing was a problem almost immediately and the attic was converted into patient living space.
One of the hospital's more famous patients was folk singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie, who spent a stint at Greystone from 1956 to 1961.
Many of the buildings at Greystone went abandoned long ago. The hospital closed altogether due to sexual abuses by employees against patients, patient on patient violence and multiple patient suicides..


I'm sure Greystone has since been torn down, and I can't imagine the horrible conditions that these patients lived under...I remember when Geraldo investigated it, quite awhile back and at that time it was in disaray...

Oy my work is never done!



YOUR WELCOME

halfhandshuffle:Ramones-Do You Wanna Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89TPe13QsRM

Great stuff here folks, can't wait to dig through all of it!


LOL! Yeah, probably the trees. Or maybe this guy:






I was wondering if Bartonville would come up. We used to hunt that place as kids... or at least try to. I'm not sure what spooked us more, the police or the ghosts! There was a great write up in I think the Tazwell News about it by (if I'm not mistaken) Dewayne Bartels, but I can't locate it online - maybe at the library if you're still close to that area. It was in the late 80's or early 90's. Hey, if you are and find it I'd love to see a copy. DeWayne got more than he bargained for, that's all I really remember about his experience.

One of my very favorite ghost stories comes out of Bartonville. I actually knew a person who was living at the hospital either at the time or shortly after and he often talked about the story of Old Book. There were over 400 witnesses to this event!

The story goes, there was an old man who they think had a breakdown and was a mute. All they knew about him is that he once worked as a bookbinder so they called him "Old Book". He often watched from the window as they held grave services for those that passed on. Noticing his interest, and in need of help, the staff asked Old Book if he would like to assist. Not only did he help bury these often friendless patients, but he showed great emotion at each funeral. There was a giant elm tree which he would grasp and passionately cry on during each service. When he got older he was no longer able to help with burials, but even when he was confined to a wheelchair and in poor health he dutifully attended each service, rain or shine, and stayed near his tree paying his respects.

Eventually it was Old Book's turn and he was to be buried close to his favorite elm tree. Word spread quickly, Old Book was well liked and Dr. Zeller decided everyone should attend. Over 100 nurses and several hundred patients attended, far more than the dozen or so that usually attended most patient's services. Dr. Zeller officiated the services himself and wrote about his experiences, much has also been written and passed down by the hundreds that attended and witnessed the events that unfolded. According to Dr. Zeller's writings, "Just as the choir finished the last lines of 'Rock of Ages', the men grasped the ropes, stooped forward, and with a powerful, muscular effort, prepared to lift the coffin, in order to permit the removal of the crossbeams and allow it to gently descend into the grave. At a given signal, they heaved away the ropes and the next instant, all four lay on their backs. For the coffin, instead of offering resistance, bounded into the air like an eggshell, as if it were empty!"

Many ran away. Many came closer to see what the commotion was about. But all near began to hear a strange wailing noise. It didn't take long for everyone present to figure out where the noise was coming from - the old elm tree! There stood Old Book, for all to see, wailing and grasping his tree.

"It was awful, but it was real," Dr. Zeller wrote. "I saw it; 100 nurses saw it and 300 spectators saw it."

Within days the tree started to wither and slowly die away. They tried everything, dousing it with water, bringing in specialists (it was a large and beautiful tree), but nothing seemed to help and the tree continued it's slow death. Within a year of Old Book's funeral the tree was dead. Dr. Zeller ordered the tree cut down, but the workers quickly came back to Dr. Zeller refusing to attempt any further work. Apparently each time they would strike the tree they would hear the mysterious wailing of Old Book. Dr. Zeller then ordered them to burn the tree. But shortly after the flames were lit the workers again heard the crying and painful wailing of the tree and quickly put out the flames. The doctor gave up his efforts and let the tree fall into decay, leaving it as the lone marker of Old Book's grave.

Most that lived there at the time are now passed on, but if you visit the old timers or nursing homes in the area, you may be able to hear some interesting second hand stories of Old Book. I was always fascinated by this story because of all the eye witnesses, how could 400 people, including one of the most famous mental health doctors of the era lie about such a thing?! Or maybe it was just the moon refracting off of Venus...

I don't know why but this pic from abandon houses link freaked me out. I guess I'm just weird.

HAHA!! I almost posted that one too! But I thought, nah... I'll probably be the only one that thinks it's creepy!

Well you weren't alone...that creeped me out

Visiting old abandoned buildings is always been my thing for years. I uploaded new vids of an abandoned hospital on Sept 29/07
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=dwingeloo&p=r

Thanks!! I will watch it tomorrow. I am being a scaredy cat tonight. I feel so freaked out tonight and I have no idea why. I have chill bumps....lol

Wow! Great thread! I'll spend hours reading all of the links and looking at all of the pics!
Episteme, if that were a reflection in the window, wouldn't the window next to it have at least, a similar reflection? One is full of color and the one next to it is shades of grey. Hmmmm.....

I loved the story of "Old Book"! Sad as it is. It will stick with me.

Tahmnong, Thank you for the pics! Impressive building and spooky! I'd love to explore it!

goalienan, I remember Geraldo's segment on that place. I'm glad it's closed down.

O.k. now I'm off to watch primordial's video. Thanks in advance prime!

I will read al lthe stories and links today afternoon...now in office!

Vel.....you gotta be scared/freaked off by dolls..muahahahaha

There is this hauntged mansion in the place i live and i am planning of visiting it one day. i will go in the day time and later in the night time to have a big rave there with a dj and booze thrown in...lets hope the ghosts will surely join us!! (i am not joking..i have heard that this place is so spooky that since its construction around 20 years back, no one has lived in the building, whoever tires has fled the mansion due to poltergiest-ish activities ..and those companies which had been sent to demolish the mansion had their machinery having continuous breakdowns ..only in the mansion locality and no where else.... i love such kind of places...

once i sat all night long in a cemetery with my friends hoping we will see a ghost...nothing came...maybe its because of me...i seems to be a ghost deterent..

I agree ...very upsetting pic...

The man in the window I don't think is a ghost but I found a woman's face in the window to the left though it is a bit hard to see.

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