Abandoned Greycourt Women’s Prison /
Abandoned Camp Laguardia

In Orange County, New York sits 258 acres of ruin: the once Greycourt Prison, the once Camp Laguardia.

Greycourt Prison, built in 1918 by the City of New York, was for women only. The farm colony 90 minutes north of New York City served to provide “physical, mental and moral rehabilitation,” utilizing the fresh air and fertile farmland far from the city. There potatoes, oats, corn and hay were tended to by inmates who made their home in the 108 cell rooms (6 feet long by 7 feet wide by 8 feet high). (source) But its stint as a prison for women only lasted until 1934 when control was transferred to the New York City Welfare Department, later called the Department of Homeless Services. It was renamed Camp Greycourt once the need for supporting the unemployed men during the Great Depression became much more of a social concern than the decreasing criminality in women.

The site would once again utilize farming and outdoor labor to bring purpose to the unfortunate. And it would serve this purpose for decades, closing only in 2006 officially by Mayor Bloomberg. (There is a detailed article on its history here from the LA Times.) Since its closing it has been sold back to Orange County, who wishes to redevelop the area. But it is not proving to be easy. Currently, Greycourt Prison (or Camp Greycourt or Camp Laguardia–which it was later named in honor of its champion) sits abandoned.