Photo: Chandra Lampreich
We don’t have much truck with ghosts here at Hidden City HQ, or those phony ghosts tours, but there is something haunting about standing in an abandoned place where thousands of people suffered over the course of many decades. That’s the feeling one gets at Holmesburg Prison, with its history of riots, abusive guards and medical testing on inmates, and that was what drew what later came to be called “urban explorers” (along with scrappers and partying teens) to the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry after it closed in 1990. Indeed, the history of the two institutions turns out to be intertwined. The land Byberry was built on was previously used as a farm by Holmesburg Prison, and like Holmesburg, Byberry also allowed extensive, and largely unregulated medical testing on patients, in its case by Philadelphia pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline & French.
Photo: Chandra Lampreich
Byberry’s fortunes tended to reflect those of the Philadelphia city government. During those “corrupt and contented” years between its founding in 1907 and the start of World War II, many officials were incompetent, and conditions ranged from inadequate to appalling. An expose by the Philadelphia Record brought the situation to the attention of the general public in the late 1930s (as it did in a 1922 investigation of Holmesburg Prison) There was an outcry, hand-wringing, and finally a wave of new construction, expansion, modernization starting in the early 1940s, and lasting through the 1950s that mirrored the rise of reformist mayors Joe Clark and Richardson Dilworth. Yet even during this period, the institution was still underfunded and understaffed, leading to further exposes, this time from Life magazine in 1946 and again in 1951. The 1960s were the beginning of the end for Byberry, as mental health advocates questioned the wisdom of warehousing thousands of patients in one location. Downsizing started during the Kennedy Administration, but somehow funding and staffing always shrank faster than the number of patients.
Photo: Owl’s Flight Photography
Bleak conditions, shocking crimes and newspaper exposes continued intermittently through the 1970s and 1980s. Life at Byberry was not all bad–there were plenty of dedicated nurses and fine doctors–but the overall drift was downward. The State finally shuttered Byberry in 1990. This was not the end for the massive complex, however. The buildings and grounds had a second life as one of the most popular spots in the country for what came to be called “urban explorers.” A kind of community developed over the course of the decade, and a flood of new visitors arrived in the early 2000s after reading about the spot on the Internet. The end came in 2006, when the site in Northeast Philadelphia was bulldozed. Click HERE for an excellent history of Byberry by Goddog, who has probably explored more abandoned places in Philly than anyone else.
Photo: Chandra Lampreich
Photo: Chandra Lampreich
Photo: Chandra Lampreich
Can anyone confirm if the place documented here is Byberry? Ive always been curious. http://youtu.be/Yi7e90VNZzc?t=31m16s
No, it’s Metropolitan State Hospital in Massachusetts.
Thanks,
Every blog i read had conflicting reports one way or the other, I guess it really doesnt matter though, Byberry is gone either way
Yeah, sad part is both are gone now too!
the only sad thing about Byberry being gone is that it was not bulldozed back in the 30’s.
The absolute horror those people endured is almost to horrific to imagine, never mind living through.Through the 1930 and 1940 censuses I have found my husbands uncle was incarcerated there from probably before he was 15 until after he was 27. I have him at home in the 1920 census as a 6 year old, 1930s he showed up in this hell hole aged 15 and again in 1940s aged 26. August 1942his Draft card shows him back with his father, with a partially paralyzed right arm and right leg shorter than the left, standing about 5′ tall weighing 120 lbs. what kind of horrors did that kid liv through
Yes, it is. The video says it was somewhere in New England which was likely just to keep people away. The security guards had a hell of a time keeping locals out as it was. I’m sure they were less than thrilled about Byberry being on national TV. It also became a haven for scrappers.
I’ve been there dozens if not a hundred times. It’s creepy but nothing to keep you up at night. It’s gone now. Completely leveled. they built a retirement community on the grounds
No it is not, it’s Metropolitan State Hospital in Massachusetts.
2021 Byeberry State institution is just level ground ! There’s talk about under ground tunnels.
Hi, I’m currently writing a book about Philadelphia State Hospital and am looking for a few photographs to include in the final chapter about the 16 abandoned years. I particularly like the one you have posted here of the auditorium, since I have several photographs of the auditorium in “full swing” during 1930 concerts, etc. Anyway, if you’d be interested in contributing and having a few photos published in the book, please contact me at HannahKJones10@yahoo ASAP. My deadline to the publisher is in a week (I know, super last minute) but I wasn’t originally planning on having this last chapter, but I realized the book really wouldn’t be complete without it. You would get full credit, of course. I hope to hear from you soon!
2021 Byeberry State institution is just level ground ! There’s talk about under ground tunnels.My Grandmother was in there.
Did anyone die at byberry mental hospital
Also why were doctors and nurses so cruel to people who just needed help