Windows & Doors
Abandoned Norwich State Hospital, Part 1

And with this visit to the remains of Norwich State Hospital, I’ve visited all of Connecticut’s state psychiatric facilities, the other two being Fairfield State Hospital and Connecticut Valley State Hospital. Norwich’s story is much like other state-run psychiatric hospitals… bucolic location, sprawling rural campus, self sufficiency, eventual overcrowding, expansion of grounds, questionable treatment of the mentally ill (often well-intended, though well-intention has certainly evolved), eventual decline due to deinstitutionalization and new psychotropic drugs, officially closing in the 1990’s, development plans, massive cost of abatement and demolition leaves the remnants for exploration. You’ve heard it before because I’ve typed it before.

But Norwich’s remaining buildings are truly on their last leg. As you will see the structures are filled with hazards yet are currently sitting open for all. The security presence that was once associated with the land is gone, its ownership having changed hands several times with varying degrees of resources devoted to keeping you out. The State owned it from its closing in 1996 to 2009 when it was sold to the Town of Preston for $1, as I noticed on its property signs–a mismatched blue sticker covers “State” with “Preston.” Both The State of Connecticut and the Town of Preston were firm with trespassers, as noted by urban explorers who shared their experiences on the world wide web.

But then in 2016 the land was sold to the Mohegan Tribe. The Mohegan Tribe is planning a huge development for the area, supplemental entertainment offerings for its Mohegan Sun patrons who don’t enjoy gaming. It’s called Preston Riverwalk and includes retail, theater, theme park, restaurant, hotel, convention center, time share, and indoor waterpark–the works.

Demolition and abatement of some of the campus’s buildings began in 2011 despite it being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Despite so many websites, including one of my faves Atlas Obscura, claiming all buildings were demolished, there are many, many buildings that remain. But please, be safe. Roofs are caving in, floors are soft, putrid stinking decay… and weirdos a-plenty.

In 2017 the Mohegan Tribe began a series of scared ceremonial fires nearby to cleanse the land prior to construction. Each fire would burn for four days, four times a year, once for every season. The ceremonial fire took place again in 2018 and 2019, though I have not found any evidence of the ceremony happening this year. Are the grounds in need of a cleansing? Ghost hunters seem to think so.

Norwich has had its share of dismal times, as most psychiatric hospitals that have been around since the turn of the century have. Modern day folks just love a good fright. Asylums, on their own, harken all kinds of uncomfortable associations. It’s easy to understand how spiritual restlessness persists in a place that was created to hold all of whom society rejected, whose needs were not understood, whose torments were painful on the inside.

Some food for supernatural thought if you’re into that sort of thing. Norwich played a role in 13 deaths: 3 patients committed suicide; 7 patients committed homicides when on leave, after released or as escapees; and 3 employees were killed by accident. Considering its 92 year operation, this numbers seems a bit low to me… but “13” has all sorts of significance in history and occult. The tunnel system, which is now partially collapsed, at minimum, was in the shape of a pentagon. We all know how evil the Pentagon is. Oh wait, that’s a pentagram.

But there is something that is not legend nor lore, but truth. From 1909 to 1963 Norwich State Hospital performed 559 sterilizations. A not so common fact I recall from my undergrad studies, The United States was one of the first nations to practice eugenics. “Controlled human procreation.” Meant to “prevent those deemed psychologically, mentally, or morally, unfit to procreate,” Norwich was on board–performing vasectomies and ovariectomies on patients against their will (source).  

Then there was hydrotherapy, insulin coma therapy, and… lobotomies. Did they disconnect the brain before or after disconnecting the…? (Sorry boys.) While many employees have touted to media outlets on the compassion of the hospital–scoffing at ghost hunters’ claims of evil at Norwich, boasting of its progressive Occupational Therapy building, the dances, bowling and theater–the historic care and treatment of the mentally ill is always a cause for psychic tension. Requiring ceremonial fires for cleansing… and water slides.

This is just post one of my visit to Norwich. We saw so much and hope to return to see the rest… before that water slide situation.