Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital

Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital was a hospital in Marlboro Township, New Jersey which was operated by the State of New Jersey. Construction of the hospital began in 1929.^[1] It first opened in early 1931.^[2] According to the site plan, the hospital's campus was on 468 acres (189 ha). There is a perimeter fence which completely enclosed the property.^[3] The land was mostly a rural environment. When it closed, the hospital was on 594 acres (240 ha), having enlarged the grounds over the years.^[4] It opened with a capacity to accommodate 500-800 patients.^[5][6] The grounds construction continued after opening and when completed, the hospital was expected to have a capacity of 2,000 patients.^[7] However, in 1995, the hospital served an average of 780 adults per day with a staff of 1,157 employees and a total budget of $55.5 million (Fiscal Year 1995).^[8][9] The budget in 1998 was $68 million.^[2] The hospital finished demolition in early 2015.

Description

When first constructed, the hospital was composed of 17 "state of the art" cottages and central buildings. Each cottage would hold 55 patients.^[10] The hospital treated adults and children but in 1978, a decision was made to only admit adults and adolescents. The youth were transferred to other hospitals.^[11][12] In June 1980, adolescent patients were also phased out of treatment at the hospital. In 1946, the Arthur Brisbane estate was willed to the State Hospital. Marlboro Hospital converted this to the "Marlboro State Children's Unit"^[13] and most children were transferred to this hospital.

At Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital, the cottages were initially Tudor style dormitories which housed as many as 55 patients each. Additionally, a small cemetery was established for patients who died in residence and were unclaimed by family. The cemetery is located across the street from the location of the former hospital main gate on County Route 520. See topic below. The hospital was originally envisioned as being a "self contained community".^[14] Originally intended to house 2000 patients; however, 3000 patients was reached in 1933.^[15] In 1937 building was added to accommodate 650 additional patients.^[16] In 1939 three additional administrative buildings were constructed.^[17] Overcrowding was again addressed in 1944 with the additional construction of two dormitory units designed for 80 patients each.^[18] Continued to be overcrowded, the hospital population was reported to be 2812 in December 1945.^[19] In 1951, a 280 bed building was constructed for senile patients.^[20]

Hospital Fields

The hospital ground consisted of 366 acres of field crops such as hay, corn and potatoes. Additionally, there were 44 acres comprise orchards, vineyards and pasture land. Initially, patients were expected to work in the field and dairy. Excess produce was canned onsite at the cannery. In 1951, the hospital turned out 60,000 gallons cans of vegetables and fruit. In 1951, the dairy farm had 120 cows, 73 heifers and one bull.^[21]

Problems at the Hospital

Going back to 1936 when the hospital was performing autopsies on patients without consent of family;^[22] Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital had a history of problems. For example, on November 2, 1979, 131 patients became ill and four patients died of food poisoning.^[23] The suspected cause was Clostridium perfringens.^[24] On May 9, 1987, the eighth probe was conducted by the Public Advocate's Office into patient deaths.^[25]

Occasionally reported in the press, many patients just walked away from the hospital care. In September 1937, an escaped patient was held on "morals charges" after a complaint from two women.^[26] In June 1948, two patients were found outside the hospital grounds.^[27] June 1971, Henry Mayer, violent offender was hospitalized following severely beating his daughter escaped from the hospital.^[28] In November 1973, William Coburn left hospital supervision. He hid on the grounds for 6 days and finally surrendered. Because of severe exposure both legs were amputated due to frostbite.^[29] In 1995, William Jennings who was committed to the hospital following murdering his parents; had been granted grounds privileges and left the hospital.^[30]

Suicide was a constant problem with reports going back to the time close to the opening of the hospital.^[31] In 1972, within a two month span, there were at least 4 suicides in the basement of a building at the hospital.^[32] A woman who disappeared 48 hours before the hospital noticed her missing was found frozen to death outside. A woman was restricted to liquid food due to an eating disorder, choked to death when someone gave her a peanut butter sandwich. A patient died from brain swelling caused by a sodium deficiency noted in her charts 6 weeks earlier yet left untreated. A man who was strapped to a bed for 80 hours over 5 days died from blood clots caused by the restraints (which must be loosened every two hours).^[33] The hospital closed in 1998 following a 1993 investigation by then State Senator Richard J. Codey, during which he went undercover at the hospital and found rampant patient abuse, wasteful spending, and other illegal practices.^[34]

Experimental Treatments

In 1937, consensual Insulin experiments were conducted at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. Eight Men and eight women were used in the experiments with mixed results from "definitely cured" to "no improvement".^[35]

Agro Experimental Station

The New Jersey Experiment Station had a field office at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. Using some of the farming land at the hospital the station did experiments on cover crops, manure and fertilizers.^[36]

Mennonite Camp

From November 1942^[37] to October 1946 the Mennonite Central Committee opened a Civilian Public Service Camp on the ground of the property. The camp was identified as CPS 063-01.^[38] The Mennonites are restricted from military service and some men of that faith chose to serve the country by helping out at the hospital. The group started with 25 men from central Pennsylvaina who were Mennonites or Amish.^[37] Most of the men served as ward attendants. Over the four years the unit grew to one hundred and three men, many married.^[39] The medical director of the hospital personally selected the first twenty-five men from Medaryville, Indiana CPS Camp No 28 and Henry, Illinois CPS Camp No. 22. In 1946, an error occurred when one patient died after a Mennonite worker gave the patient wrong medication; a heart stimulant ranter than cough medicine.^[40]

A major event in the life of the unit occurred when Eleanor Roosevelt visited on January 14, 1943. She inspected the hospital and visited with the CPS men.

Prior Land Use

The grounds which became the hospital were largely rural farms before construction began. However, there was a rather large distillery on the property which was torn down to make room for the hospital.^[41] From 1825 to about 1850, part of the land was used as a tannery by John Hulse.^[42]

Prison Farm

In addition to psychiatric patients, Rahway Prison had a work camp unit established on the corner of the property. The prison farm helped with the care of the livestock and farming. It was an ultra-minimum security prison farm located on the hospital property. It housed very few inmates and all of them are trustees. Occasionally, prisoneers would escape from this institution also. In 1972, Johnnie Cooper; serving a sentence for armed robbery, was found after one such escape attempt.^[43] It is interesting to note that the large barn on the prison property was constructed with funds from President Roosevelt's W.P.A jobs project. This was following approval of $78,761 for construction and improvement of the hospital property.^[44]

Codey Investigation

Senator Richard J. Codey had gained access to the hospital by applying for employment using the ID of a convicted felon/possible sex offender.^[45] His background was never checked and he was assigned to work on one of the most regressed cottages at the hospital; Cottage 16. This cottage housed patients on two levels; first floor and basement. The basement level, all male, housed patients who were often speechless, incoherent or actively psychotic and included those who had murdered outside or inside the hospital. Senator Codey used his experience at the hospital to advocate for stricter rules of employment, including fingerprint and background checks. Additionally, the investigation resulted in the head of the hospital, Dr. David A. Sorenson, being "reassigned".^[46]

1993 Investigation

In an executive summary issued after the mid-1993 investigation showed 'irregularities and questionable activities' at the hospital. "The results of the investigation reveal a tableau of waste, fraud, thievery and corruption in which the squandering of taxpayer dollars virtually has become business as usual at this institution. Senior Hospital officials repeatedly exercised lax supervision and poor judgment, allowing multiple abuses to flourish either by directly participating in them or by simply turning a blind eye."^[47]

Current use

Before demolition, Marlboro was informed by the U.S. military that it would be using the property for military training. This training exercise included using explosives in and around the buildings on the property.^[48]

When the hospital closed, the water treatment facilities still serviced some of the buildings in the community. Currently, there is one functional facility left. Its water facilities still serve an adjacent building, the addiction treatment center; New Hope.^[49]

Since its 1998 closing, the abandoned hospital has become the focus of numerous local legends. An abandoned slaughterhouse on the property fueled legends of a murderous farmer.^[50] It was said that the farmer would lure you down "death row," as he had to two slain hospital guards.^[51] Trespassing at the slaughterhouse became a frequent problem, and the township publicly stated that trespassers would be prosecuted.^[52] According to an issue of Weird New Jersey magazine, and the book "Convergence," shadow people were often spotted in, or around, the slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse was razed.

In January 2000, a fire was reported in one of the buildings at the former hospital. Local fire companies responded and extinguished the fire but the building was a total loss.^[53] As of June 2013, the hospital buildings have been ordered to be torn down. The demolition of the buildings was a joint effort of state, county and Marlboro Township.^[54] Destruction of the buildings could be seen from the main road Route 520.^[55]

Future plans

On November 18, 2011, New Jersey state officials announced that the hospital site will become open space for recreational use. It will no longer be under state jurisdiction. Instead, the Monmouth County Park System will oversee the property. Demolishing buildings and cleaning up the property to meet environmental standards will be necessary for completing the $27 million project. The project was slated for completion in 2013^[56] but it currently appears it will be pushed back to 2016.^[57] The park system has reclaimed some of the hospital land and has opened "Big Brook Park" in 2011. Demolition of the buildings began in May 2014^[58] and has since completed.

Hospital cemetery

The hospital operated a cemetery on County Route 520.^[59] Designed as part of the original grounds plan, it opened along with the hospital in 1931. The cemetery administrators laid out the plat of burial spaces and numbered them. They proceeded to order inexpensive stone grave markers, marked only with corresponding numbers. The first patient to die at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital was buried in plot One and Marker 1 was placed on the grave. The 600th patient to die was placed in grave site 600 and Marker 600 was placed upon the grave, etc.

Originally, the standard practice was followed for cemetery visitors to check a printed list for the plot number of their deceased of interest. They used a printed map of the cemetery to find the burial location. But as burial numbers increased, a different location method was chosen.

A central location was chosen for constructing a raised, stone dais or platform. The names and plot numbers of the deceased were engraved in brass frames, arranged at waist level in a huge circle. Long since gone, the dais had a rotating azimuth – like a weather vane – which could be aimed at the target marker. This allowed visitors to choose a landmark in or outside the cemetery boundary, and commence walking towards it, in order to reach the correct marker.

References

External links

• NJ Department of Human Services (records)
• 1998 NY Times article on closure
• History and photos of hospital campus
• State Hospital Cemetery at Find a Grave
• Photographs of the hospital cemetery and its markers
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Marlboro State Hospital

Coordinates: 40°20′35″N 74°14′13″W / 40.34306°N 74.23694°W / 40.34306; -74.23694