Words and Pictures by the Stooges Moss Man and CaptainJack
As many explorers in New England know for budget reasons this hospital closed at of June 1 and is in the process of being mothballed. Up until recently that transitional period had provided good opportunity for explorers to visit our old friend.
Things are tightening up more and more. All the patients are gone and what is left is security people the occasional Cop and a crew of workers sealing things up. A vaguely Taunton styled fence with plastic coated chain link and razor wire hung at an angle over the top was being completed at the time of the Stooges entry.
A juvenile prison detention center is still active and gave us a good place to park once we had removed our front license plate so no one driving by would notice we where from out of State.
Unfortunately the hole in the agate that had allowed the Stooges recent access has been resolutely repaired. The other gate is now closed and has razor wire over the 1 foot gap at the top which had previously allowed access to the interior courtyard.
We picked the lock to the door of the kitchen area and slipped inside. To avoid some previous accidentally locked in issues we put a small metal plate over the lock detent and entered secure that we would be able to exit the way we went in.
The kitchen and service areas where pristine
1
2
3
Upstairs and decaying old serving area reminded me of pictures of a long closed Diner along Route US 66
4
One fixture there reminded us of the water stand in One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest that the Chief tore loose and threw out the window.
5
While we where enjoying the decay we became aware of some construction noises outside. Our planned exit was being blocked by a newly erected security fence.
6
No worries. This location had previously had multiple entrance/exits so we proceeded down into the tunnels and on our way to explore the sprawling old complex.
7
8
9
Again and again we came up on newly blocked halls and tunnels; although inconvenient we managed to transverse most of them by going in basements, up through attics and in and out of windows across courtyards.
This hospital consists of multiple buildings from different years attached together. The purpose of the masonry sealings is probably to deter explorers as well as provide fire breaks between the structures
The once ridiculously easy entry courtyard
10
The newest collapse
11
In the course of or tunnel travels we came on supplies from a Cold War bomb shelter
12
All the time we where looking for alternate exits but found none. I remained secure in the idea if worse came to worse we would take a tunnel to admin and using our best Stooge style exit through the still partly active area.
13
After spending some relaxing and pleasant hours covering a lot of territory we realized our exit options were dwindling down to the live area escape. Now we found even the tunnel to the admin was blocked by new masonry and an alarm in the ceiling.
A creeping level of disquiet began invading our bodies
Perhaps we where as trapped as this sad remnant of one that was once free to fly
14
15
Our only door out was a window out onto the roof of the cafeteria and then down whatever we could find.
Both Moss and I have issue with heights but there was no recourse. Our fear was overcome by necessity.
17
As many explorers in New England know for budget reasons this hospital closed at of June 1 and is in the process of being mothballed. Up until recently that transitional period had provided good opportunity for explorers to visit our old friend.
Things are tightening up more and more. All the patients are gone and what is left is security people the occasional Cop and a crew of workers sealing things up. A vaguely Taunton styled fence with plastic coated chain link and razor wire hung at an angle over the top was being completed at the time of the Stooges entry.
A juvenile prison detention center is still active and gave us a good place to park once we had removed our front license plate so no one driving by would notice we where from out of State.
Unfortunately the hole in the agate that had allowed the Stooges recent access has been resolutely repaired. The other gate is now closed and has razor wire over the 1 foot gap at the top which had previously allowed access to the interior courtyard.
We picked the lock to the door of the kitchen area and slipped inside. To avoid some previous accidentally locked in issues we put a small metal plate over the lock detent and entered secure that we would be able to exit the way we went in.
The kitchen and service areas where pristine
1
2
3
Upstairs and decaying old serving area reminded me of pictures of a long closed Diner along Route US 66
4
One fixture there reminded us of the water stand in One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest that the Chief tore loose and threw out the window.
5
While we where enjoying the decay we became aware of some construction noises outside. Our planned exit was being blocked by a newly erected security fence.
6
No worries. This location had previously had multiple entrance/exits so we proceeded down into the tunnels and on our way to explore the sprawling old complex.
7
8
9
Again and again we came up on newly blocked halls and tunnels; although inconvenient we managed to transverse most of them by going in basements, up through attics and in and out of windows across courtyards.
This hospital consists of multiple buildings from different years attached together. The purpose of the masonry sealings is probably to deter explorers as well as provide fire breaks between the structures
The once ridiculously easy entry courtyard
10
The newest collapse
11
In the course of or tunnel travels we came on supplies from a Cold War bomb shelter
12
All the time we where looking for alternate exits but found none. I remained secure in the idea if worse came to worse we would take a tunnel to admin and using our best Stooge style exit through the still partly active area.
13
After spending some relaxing and pleasant hours covering a lot of territory we realized our exit options were dwindling down to the live area escape. Now we found even the tunnel to the admin was blocked by new masonry and an alarm in the ceiling.
A creeping level of disquiet began invading our bodies
Perhaps we where as trapped as this sad remnant of one that was once free to fly
14
15
Our only door out was a window out onto the roof of the cafeteria and then down whatever we could find.
Both Moss and I have issue with heights but there was no recourse. Our fear was overcome by necessity.
17
