Letchworth Village- Rockland County NY

 Article and Pictures By: Frank LoPresti

                                                    Letchworth Village- Rockland County NY

Letchworth Village opened in 1911 as an institution to provide residency and care to the mentally and physically disabled. It remained in operation until 1996, however throughout those years countless accusations of abuse and cruelty from the staff plagued its reputation. The institution consisted of over 130 structures spread over 3000 acres, most of which remain standing but are in a decrepit state. This along with the infamy raised by the reports of what exactly went on during its operation, led to the entire complex becoming a popular spot for urban explorers and ghost hunters.

                           

Thousands of the residents were forced to live in cramped and unsanitary conditions throughout the property and were subjected to the cruel authority of the staff who oversaw their every waking moment. Allegations of patient abuse ranging from sexual assault to cruel experimentation on disabled residents were commonly made. These allegations led to numerous investigations throughout the years, ultimately leading to the largest one conducted by ABC news and through reporter Geraldo Rivera in which they revealed to the world countless pictures of residents including children, living in cramped and dirty conditions. The report was published as "Willowbrook: the last great disgrace." , and shocked the American Public to its core; over the course of the following years, countless reforms mandated the quality of care of these patients to be improved. However, like many of the other Asylums of the time, it would close.  

These pictures were taken within the morgue and contain images of embalming equipment and what I believe to be a freezer/storage container for corpses. In many of these buildings, paperwork can be found detailing a variety of things regarding the operation of the place. However, due to being exposed to the elements for so long and suffering the wrath of vandals, many of the left-behind artifacts are either damaged beyond recognition or stolen. That being said, there is still plenty to see and do around the property, plenty of the buildings are still accessible, and it could take days to go through all of the remains. What is illustrated in this article is only the result of a short exploration of Letchworth; however, this only showcases a small piece of the history left behind I encourage all who are interested in checking it out.

The majority of the Land is considered a public park, and people during the daytime can often be seen jogging, walking their dogs, and doing other miscellaneous outdoor activities. However, the buildings are "no trespassing" , and some are now private property as redevelopment projects begin to take hold around the area. So to any who do decide to venture to 41.214793,-74.023676 Stoney Point NY, absolutely do not under any circumstance enter any of these fully-intact, well-hidden buildings, especially not after sunset.