Abandoned Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital

The future of Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital, a groundbreaking care center that employed homeopathic techniques in treating mental illness that opened in 1874 as the State Homeopathic Asylum for the Insane at Middletown, is still in limbo. Its history remains in a sprawl of buildings off State Route 211 in Middletown, New York. Some were demolished as the campus evolved through time, but many remain abandoned with various signage from their former uses; some are occupied with new purposes; while others are in active construction. This article from 2015 details some of the progress and challenges with its redevelopment. When I accessed the grounds on a sunny Saturday, there was plenty of action and plenty to see. These photos are just a small portion of the structures, which means I hope to return soon.

Firstly, and as with other abandoned sites, there were young men filming their souped up cars and dog walkers. But there was also a construction crew working to renovate one of the buildings. I attempted to chat but there was a language barrier.

I learned after that part of the sprawl will be used as Fei Tian College student dorms–and there was already a high school, Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, operating in one of the repurposed buildings. The scene was disconcerting because none of the workers were protecting themselves with P.P.E while working within the old undoubtably asbestos-filled structures. (I thought of what I had learned about Harlem Valley State Hospital, when Olivet University had to pay a $600,000 penalty for asbestos removal violations.) While the workers (women and older men) took to task in a large structure, many of the other structures were easy to reach and many had well-worn access points. It seems that the mix of public and private ownership of the campus parts made securing the buildings a challenge. In general, it seems as if Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital continues to decay on borrowed time… and that these structures have determined fates. This makes my exploration all the more special.

As good a door as any

The nurses’ quarters are beautiful

The mail keeps on coming.

I was playing around with watermarking. I suppose I should start watermarking my pictures… but I feel like it’s kind of distracting.

I was giggling at this building, thinking: “When I try to open up to someone…”

Second floor door (good band name)

The power plant, always a pleasure

A peek in the power plant

So many ways in, but I was not feeling so brazen as this was my first visit. This was odd as the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center is very far away in Utica.

Look in that window. Do you see a special buddy?

“Don’t come in here,” the cat said.

This was a favorite building. Building 65. This was home to the Solomon Kleiner Center–once contained a school, vocational services, a flower shop (called “Many Pretty Colors Flower Shop”) and the Friendship Club, as well as BOCES programs (LPN Nursing Program, GED Program, and Engligh as Second Language). There was also a children’s center (Hilltop Children’s Center) and Peppermill Cafe housed in the neat-looking structure.

And clearly others also found this to be a most enticing building. Perhaps this range of uses makes this building most alluring to explorers… but it could also be that this building captures the treatment philosophy by which the hospital was founded–homeopathic treatment, which fused occupational, art and sport therapy, among other things. (The hospital is well known for its use of Baseball Therapy. Their team name: The Asylums.)

True, homeopathy is now considered a pseudoscience, but in the time that Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital operated, it meant patients were exposed to different means of enriching their existence… and the abuse and neglect that marred other state hospitals’ histories does not seem to have tainted Middletown as much.

I circled the building and found it beckoning to me…

And then I discovered its rear entrance

I crept in briefly and cautiously and decided I’d have to return with company. Looks like lots to see.

A great first visit to Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital. I look forward to returning and exploring more. [Quick note: While I am well-aware of urban exploration etiquette of keeping locations secret, I find them to be presumptive and pessimistic. It goes without saying that safety is always a tremendous concern in dilapidating structures, as is the risk of bodily harm or the chance of encountering shady folk–especially as a woman. But you are capable of making thoughtful decisions when provided with an overview that details a site’s characteristics–and not without. I presume you are well-intended, take precautions, and are genuinely curious and respectful of these sites as the physical archive that they are. Please don’t abuse my trust. 😒 And please be safe.]

For further and truly fascinating reading, check here–especially the 1908 Guide for Nursing the Insane.