There have been several state mental institutions in New Jersey that have closed their doors over the years, each with a chilling backstory. Many of us are well aware of the infamous Greystone Park in Morristown, and Overbrook Insane Asylum in Cedar Grove was used as the set for the screen adaption of Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke. Horrendous things happened at these institutions, among other abandoned asylums in New Jersey, but they are no more. Only a few asylums still remain, and one of the most terrifying is still in use. Let's take a look at this abandoned psychiatric hospital in New Jersey.
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, opened in 1848, was the first public mental hospital in New Jersey. It has gone by several names over the years including Trenton State Hospital and The New Jersey Lunatic Asylum. The facility was founded by Dorothea Dix, an activist and advocate for the mentally ill. While the aim was to help care for and rehabilitate patients with psychiatric issues, the asylum took a dark turn after Dr. Henry Cotton took control of the facility in 1907.
Dr. Cotton's tenure as director started off well. A progressive thinker, he eliminated mechanical restraints, instituted occupational therapy, and prioritized patient safety. Unfortunately, in 1913, he developed a disturbing theory. After discovering that untreated Syphilis could lead to mental illness, he believed that infection was the cause of all psychiatric disorders. He used surgery as treatment, unnecessarily maiming and mutilating patients, often removing teeth, gallbladders, significant portions of the stomach, tracts of the colon, and various other organs. While he claimed a cure rate of 85%, many of his "treatments" resulted in fatalities. Though Dr. Cotton died in 1933, several of his unethical and inhumane practices remained standard at the facility until the 1960s.
When the hospital discontinued his gruesome methods, many wings were abandoned and left to fall into disrepair. Still, a fully operational psychiatric hospital and a correctional facility remain on the grounds. Currently, the facility is facing its fair share of controversy. An analysis of state hospital data (by the Express-Times) from 2005 through 2010 shows Trenton recorded the highest rates of violence and patient restraint compared to New Jersey's other state psychiatric hospitals. Additionally, in that same time frame, there were 157 patient-on-patient assaults resulting in major injury at New Jersey's (then five) psychiatric hospitals. This data, which comes from the state's Department of Human Services website, shows that 112 (71%) of these incidents occurred at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
Though the abandoned portions of the facility are not open to the public, this video by Abandoned New Jersey will take you through the asylum, providing an eerie glimpse into what life was like at the institution before the onset of modern psychiatric treatments.
There is no denying the horrors that happened here as they were not kept secret; Dr. Cotton proudly published papers on his practices and findings. The history of the New Jersey Lunatic Asylum is truly terrifying and has served as the subject of numerous news stories, books, and even films. Madhouse: A Tragic Tale Of Megalomania And Modern Medicine by Andrew Scull, details the disturbing legacy of Dr. Henry Cotton in depth.
Have you ever seen this abandoned psychiatric hospital in New Jersey up close? If you're up for an adventure, check out this road trip that will take you to several abandoned places in New Jersey.
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