Worcester Insane Asylum (Kirkbride Building)

Worcester Insane Asylum (Kirkbride Building)

hospitals, asylums, buildings

The old Worcester asylum building which had opened in 1833 was the first of its kind in the state of Massachusetts. But by the 1870’s it was no longer adequate to fulfill the states needs. There was overcrowding which led to the construction of a new asylum complex. The building was designed by a Worcester architect by the name of Ward P. Delano, and cost well over a million dollars to build. The Worcester State Hospital also known as the Worcester Lunatic Asylum was then opened in 1877. This building was home to hundreds of patients with mental illnesses. In 1991 the asylum was severely damaged by a fire. Sections of the building were torn down and now only part of the building remains. The clock tower is still standing and can be seen from route 9. The remains of the abandoned hospital are now boarded up and the building is fenced off. *Interesting side note: Sigmund Freud visited the Worcester State Hospital in 1909 during his only trip to America.

Information from: http://www.opacity.us/site56_worcester_state_hospital.htm and http://www.kirkbridebuildings.com/buildings/worcester/

Opened in 1877. Photographed in October 2009

Ryan Foley