When did Bronx State Hospital open?

Abandoned Highrise Mental Hospital in the Middle of NYC - Operating Rooms and Padded Cells

The Proper People・2 minutes read

Bronx State Hospital opened in 1964, facing severe overcrowding and staff shortages by the 1980s due to underfunding, prompting a shift towards outpatient care and eventual replacement with a modern facility in 2016. The original structures are now abandoned, with exploration revealing remnants like a sealed morgue room, a dental chair, and an x-ray machine, but the future of the complex remains uncertain with plans for redevelopment stalled.

Insights

Bronx State Hospital, established in 1964, faced challenges like severe overcrowding, staff shortages, and underfunding throughout its history, impacting patient care and facility conditions.
The exploration of the abandoned hospital buildings revealed intriguing finds like a sealed morgue room and a transition from medical facilities to storage spaces, showcasing the evolution and eventual neglect of the complex despite initial redevelopment considerations.

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Summary

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"Bronx State Hospital: From Inception to Abandonment"

Bronx State Hospital opened in 1964 as New York State's first mental hospital in three decades.
The hospital's centerpiece was the 680-bed medical surgical building with advanced medical facilities.
Adjacent to the medical surgical building was the reception building, providing office space and patient treatment areas.
Some wards in the reception building were designated for disturbed patients requiring higher security.
The Bronx Children's Psychiatric Center was added in the 1970s to accommodate young patients.
By the 1980s, the hospital faced severe overcrowding, with over 100 patients exceeding capacity.
Staff shortages were evident, with two to three employees managing 30 or more young men in some wards.
The hospital suffered from underfunding, leading to inadequate patient care and high room temperatures.
Eventually, a shift towards outpatient care led to the replacement of the aging buildings with a modern facility in January 2016.
The original structures were left disused, prompting exploration of the abandoned hospital buildings.

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Abandoned building reveals hidden secrets and decay.

The upper floors of the building were less interesting and seemed to have been used more recently, with a different layout on one floor including stairs not seen elsewhere.
The exploration led to discovering a sealed room that was likely a morgue, with remnants like a drain and a white-painted wall.
Moving to the H-shaped building, they found a dental chair and x-ray machine in storage, indicating a shift from a dental office to storage space.
The complex, once considered for redevelopment into a hotel and business center, now faces vandalism and decay, with no progress on the proposed plans and no updates on its future.