The Taunton Insane Asylum

[augusta]

When I visited FR earlier this month, I finally took the time to go see the Taunton Insane Asylum. It's a big place! Quite a few of the buildings are open and in use. These may be slightly newer buildings than the old, original part, I don't know. They don't give tours. But I thought I had read that only like two buildings are still in use. Maybe the writer meant two of the 'old' buildings, I don't know. They don't give out brochures, either.

The truly old and original parts are all behind this black fence that is high and does not make for very good photos.

It's worth the drive to see if you are in Fall River. I'm guessing they will tear the old part down, or maybe re-do it into something else. It's interesting to see while it's still in its original state.

[nbcatlover]

I had opportunity to visit the Taunton Mental Hospital in the 1950s and 1960s (a family friend was institutionalized). It was a very stark, grim place. It was clear but very spartan, very prison-like. Lots and lots of alarms, locked doors and bars on windows.

While Bill Borden and family members stayed there, the standing joke among the physicians was that Lizzie Borden's records were lost, meaning to imply that Lizzie Borden had been there when Bill's sister Eliza was also called Lizzie.

[Kat]

There was an article about family members of William Borden in the LBQ being at Taunton. Here is a segment:
"5821 ——William S. Borden Act. 19 Married Fall River Labour.
F. ——Taunton 4 weeks Hereditary. 2 Sisters and 2 Aunts insane"

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/NewResear ... oversy.htm

Research by Jon Keller

We have a member who worked there, Tracie.
That would have been interesting to visit there on our last trip!

[Edisto]

I wouldn't dare go there -- they might keep me!

I've had a couple of family members who spent time in such a facility. My late aunt was a schoolteacher, and she used to take her charges to Dix Hill in Raleigh, NC, on field trips, if you can imagine! It probably frightened the little dears out of their minds. A cousin of hers and my Mother's was hospitalized there in the 40s, and I recall visiting her. This too was a very old facility that had some modern buildings added. I remember going into the kitchen, where patients did much of the cooking. One woman was making biscuits, and I recall that the biscuits were HUGE -- about the size of a dinner plate. I started to laugh, and my aunt shushed me and said, "The poor thing doesn't know what size a biscuit should be." Nevertheless, I imagine the biscuits were inedible, because they wouldn't have gotten cooked through without burning on the outside. I suppose it was just a "make-work" assignment. Nowadays I like to think that people like our cousin can be treated with medication and don't have to be in such a depressing place. I understand that in the old days the people of Raleigh used to take their families out to the Dix Hill grounds on weekends for picnics and to look at the patients through the fence -- something like going to a zoo.

[snokkums]

I know where Dix hospital is in Raleigh. I was stationed at Camp Lejune and one time I had to go pick up one of my troops there. He was in Raliegh partying and went loco

[theebmonique]

Snok, you were a Marine at Camp Lejeune ?


Tracy...

[snokkums]

Yes. Spent 12 years in. Got out right after desert storm.

[Kat]

Thank you for serving our country.

[theebmonique]

It would be unteresting to know what you did. That many years as a Marine, must have been very hard work. But, maybe that discussion would be best in a PM.


Tracy...

[Ferreira]

The Taunton State Hospital was destroyed Sunday, March 19, 2006, cause of fire is under investigation. The buildings will most likely be razed.

[mbhenty]

When I was little that hospital was constantly used as a way to insult. Someone was always asserting. "Your nuts, someone should take you to Taunton."

When I was a little boy, I thought all of Taunton was made up of mad and insane people and always afraid when we drove thru it that I would be left there.

[Harry]

The Taunton Gazette has an article on the fire:

http://tinyurl.com/g94bs

[Kat]

Geez! That's awful!
And there's the quote "No water."
Didn't they have a dam burst in Taunton a while ago and had to evacuate the city?
What's going on?

[mbhenty]

Yes Kat:
They caught it just in time before the dam came completely apart. We had had a lot of rain at that time, and it was more than the dam could handle. But they knew that, they had trouble with that dam coming apart back in the 60's. It was called the Whittenton Dam, and was built around the 1830's for the nearby textile mills. I believe the dam was named after the Mills. The center of Taunton was about a half mile down stream, and in danger of flooding.

Now, we are talking of a 170 year old dam. It's privatley own. They said it was inspected recently, but so was the nightclub in West Warick, R.I. (by fire inspectors) back in 2003, where around 100 people died in a fire. No one in our society wants to take responsibility. They knew that dam was coming apart. But the inspectors had to be incompetent, except when collecting their pay checks.

And no one wanted to spend the money to repair the dam. So the buck got passed. Just like Katrina.

[Kat]

Well, fire and water. What's Next??

[mbhenty]

You bet Kat: How about that cat up the tree in Montana? Ha, ha, ha......

[SteveS.]

mbhenty wrote When I was a little boy, I thought all of Taunton was made up of mad and insane people and always afraid when we drove thru it that I would be left there. wow dejavu when I read that. I guess everyone in the area ia brought up believing that because I also thought that growing up. That if you look into someone from Taunton's eyes you can see that they are all really insane.

[RayS]

Yes Kat:
They caught it just in time before the dam came completely apart. We had had a lot of rain at that time, and it was more than the dam could handle. But they knew that, they had trouble with that dam coming apart back in the 60's. It was called the Whittenton Dam, and was built around the 1830's for the nearby textile mills. I believe the dam was named after the Mills. The center of Taunton was about a half mile down stream, and in danger of flooding.

Now, we are talking of a 170 year old dam. It's privatley own. They said it was inspected recently, but so was the nightclub in West Warick, R.I. (by fire inspectors) back in 2003, where around 100 people died in a fire. No one in our society wants to take responsibility. They knew that dam was coming apart. But the inspectors had to be incompetent, except when collecting their pay checks.

And no one wanted to spend the money to repair the dam. So the buck got passed. Just like Katrina.

The famous Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889 was caused by mismanagement of the dam and neglect. It was made of 'puddled clay' like many dams but did not get the needed maintenance. Small leaks will develop into big leaks, and the dam gave away after heavy rains. There is an interesting book on this.
Everything costs, and costs are often "deferred'. When there is a bigger problem more money can then be spent, and more benefits to the grantors.

[twinsrwe]

The Taunton Gazette has an article on the fire:

http://tinyurl.com/g94bs

Harry, thank you for providing us with the link for the Taunton Gazette. It was very sad to read that article; what a horrible thing to happen.

[twinsrwe]

I had opportunity to visit the Taunton Mental Hospital in the 1950s and 1960s (a family friend was institutionalized). It was a very stark, grim place. It was clear but very spartan, very prison-like. Lots and lots of alarms, locked doors and bars on windows.


While Bill Borden and family members stayed there, the standing joke among the physicians was that Lizzie Borden's records were lost, meaning to imply that Lizzie Borden had been there when Bill's sister Eliza was also called Lizzie.

I have not had the opportunity is visit the Taunton Mental Hospital, however, the following link will give you an idea of what the inside of the building was like. Photographs of the building before the dome collapsed can be seen in the Library of Congress's section, at the bottom of the page; see American Memory Collections. I agree with you Cynthia, it appears to be very prison-like. Some of these photos give me the chills...

http://www.kirkbridebuildings.com/build ... unton.html


I also found the following link, while surfing the internet, which gives us some postcard images and real photographs of this historic institution. Some of these photographs show the building to have great deal of character, IMO. What can I say, I love old buildings, that do not look like a square barn.

http://www.abandonedasylum.com/photos.html

I hope everyone will find these photos as intriguing as I did.

[twinsrwe]

While I was surfing the internet, I came across the following link, which I found quite interesting.

http://www.masscrossroads.com/bristoltaunton.html

[Nadzieja]

Over 25 years ago, they had an open house at Worcester State Hospital. It was some type of anniversary. A few of us went and was totally surprised by the architecture of the buildings. Alot of the rooms in one ward were separated by a door leading directly to the next room. They had them all open so you could see all the way down through all of them. In one room we came across many old medical slides but also some of the patients records (very old). Don't know why these were strewn about. I just had the wierdest feeling going through the basement rooms, just such sadness. The guide said that many years before there was an attendant who would bring people in for 25 cents and they could look at the patients. This was in the basement where some of the worse cases were locked up. Afterward someone in the family told me I had a great aunt that was committed there because she had an accident in a factory where she hit her head and was never right after that incident. Can anyone tell me when this fire happened. I looked on the links you all provided and was fascinated by the pictures.

[twinsrwe]

Can anyone tell me when this fire happened.

Yes, please see the following post by Ferreira...

The Taunton State Hospital was destroyed Sunday, March 19, 2006, cause of fire is under investigation. The buildings will most likely be razed.

Also, see Harry's post for the article regarding the fire which was printed in the Taunton Gazette...

The Taunton Gazette has an article on the fire:

http://tinyurl.com/g94bs

[twinsrwe]

I looked on the links you all provided and was fascinated by the pictures.

I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures; in some ways it was quite a beautiful place, yet, quite dismal in other ways. Very intriguing.