Editing Letchworth Village

From Asylum Projects
Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{infobox institution
 
{{infobox institution
 
| name = Letchworth Village
 
| name = Letchworth Village
| image = 1980 22.jpg
+
| image =
 
| image_size =  
 
| image_size =  
 
| alt =  
 
| alt =  
Line 8: Line 8:
 
| construction_began = 1908
 
| construction_began = 1908
 
| construction_ended =
 
| construction_ended =
| opened = 1911
+
| opened =
| closed = 1988
+
| closed =
 
| demolished =
 
| demolished =
 
| current_status = [[Closed Institution|Closed]]
 
| current_status = [[Closed Institution|Closed]]
 
| building_style = [[Cottage Planned Institutions|Cottage Plan]]
 
| building_style = [[Cottage Planned Institutions|Cottage Plan]]
| architect(s) = Franklin B. Ware
+
| architect(s) =
| location = Haverstraw, NY
+
| location =
| architecture_style = Colonial Revival
+
| architecture_style =
 
| peak_patient_population =  
 
| peak_patient_population =  
 
| alternate_names =<br>
 
| alternate_names =<br>
Line 24: Line 24:
 
}}
 
}}
  
==History==
+
Built in 1908 for the "feeble minded and epileptics," the Eastern New York State Custodial Asylum was eventually renamed to Letchworth Village Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptics after William Pryor Letchworth, a philanthropist. The facility was meant to be a departure from normal hospitals of the time and instead chose to symbolize a "village" structure. One story cottages dotted the landscape instead of a few massive hulking structures, due to the idea that a homelike institution and human contact would provide a better healing setting. These ideals caused much controversy at the time. Patients were separated by sex, and then separated again into three groups, never to mix contact: young and improvable, middle aged and industrious, and infirm and helpless. Education, training and vocational instruction were provided, and farm acreage was worked by the residents to raise food for the institution.
Built in 1911 for the "feeble minded and epileptics," the Eastern New York State Custodial Asylum was eventually renamed to Letchworth Village Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptics after William Pryor Letchworth, a philanthropist. The facility was meant to be a departure from normal hospitals of the time and instead chose to symbolize a "village" structure. One story cottages dotted the landscape instead of a few massive hulking structures, due to the idea that a homelike institution and human contact would provide a better healing setting. These ideals caused much controversy at the time. Patients were separated by sex, and then separated again into three groups, never to mix contact: young and improvable, middle aged and industrious, and infirm and helpless. Education, training and vocational instruction were provided, and farm acreage was worked by the residents to raise food for the institution.
 
  
 
The institution was constantly plagued by overcrowding due to its revolutionary treatment ideals and popularity. Geraldo Rivera produced a segment on overcrowding of New York Institutions such as Willowbrook and Letchworth called "The Last Great Disgrace," which eventually grew into a full length documentary on ABC. Rivera won a Peabody Award in 1971 for his work. As the population of the institution dwindled, residents were placed into group homes until the facility completely closed in 1996.
 
The institution was constantly plagued by overcrowding due to its revolutionary treatment ideals and popularity. Geraldo Rivera produced a segment on overcrowding of New York Institutions such as Willowbrook and Letchworth called "The Last Great Disgrace," which eventually grew into a full length documentary on ABC. Rivera won a Peabody Award in 1971 for his work. As the population of the institution dwindled, residents were placed into group homes until the facility completely closed in 1996.
Line 31: Line 30:
 
The farmland which once grew food for its residents and staff now has been sold and turned into country clubs and golf courses. The rest of the Letchworth buildings remain vacant, with the exception of one group of six, which are used as a daycare facility, and a couple of other buildings which were converted for school use and town administrative purposes.
 
The farmland which once grew food for its residents and staff now has been sold and turned into country clubs and golf courses. The rest of the Letchworth buildings remain vacant, with the exception of one group of six, which are used as a daycare facility, and a couple of other buildings which were converted for school use and town administrative purposes.
  
Encore Haverstraw is now looking to redevelop the property into 550 single-family townhouses, an inn and restaurant, and retail stores. On December 6, 2006, Stewart Hall suffered from a very serious fire. The building was going to be reused in the condo development. Demolition of the remaining buildings is slated for sometime in 2007. A development proposal for the property known as Encore Haverstraw envisions 550 single-family townhouses, an inn and restaurant, and retail space.
+
Encore Haverstraw is now looking to redevelop the property into 550 single-family townhouses, an inn and restaurant, and retail stores. Oone December 6, 2006, Stewart Hall suffered from a very serious fire. The building was going to be reused in the condo development. Demolition of the reminaing buildings is slated for sometime in 2007. A development proposal for the property known as Encore Haverstraw envisions 550 single-family townhouses, an inn and restaurant, and retail space.
 
 
== Images of Letchworth Village ==
 
{{image gallery|[[Letchworth Village Image Gallery|Letchworth Village]]}}
 
 
 
<gallery>
 
File:letchworthgamma.png
 
File:letchworthmap.png
 
File:letchworthkirkbridehall.png
 
</gallery>
 
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 
*[http://www.letchworthvillage.info/ http://www.letchworthvillage.info/]
 
*[http://www.letchworthvillage.info/ http://www.letchworthvillage.info/]
  
[[Category:New York]]
 
 
[[Category:Closed Institution]]
 
[[Category:Closed Institution]]
 
[[Category:Cottage Plan]]
 
[[Category:Cottage Plan]]
 +
[[Category:New York]]

Please note that all contributions to Asylum Projects may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Asylum Projects:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To edit this page, please answer the question that appears below (more info):

Cancel | Editing help (opens in new window)