Status: Abandoned

I had heard so much over the past few years about this forgotten, crumbling campus of architecturally stunning buildings, but nothing of the abuse and terror that went on within their walls. In ways, I’m glad I didn’t know about the suffering, the pain, and the unspeakable violations of human rights until after I visited Pennhurst.

Pennhurst first opened in 1913 as the Eastern Pennsylvania Feeble Minded and Epileptic Institution. At one point in time, it accomodated about 2800 patients on 1200 acres of property. As years went by, it became a dreadful, travesty of a place where people with disabilities were supposed to be helped, not harmed. Contained within the walls of Pennhurst were mainly young retarded children who would live their lives right into adulthood here. Even if a person was considered “slow” or “not normal” in any way whatsoever, they were a candidate for Pennhurst. Even more tragic, if parents had a perfectly normal child they couldn’t or didn’t want to care for any longer, they would commit them here as well.

The conditions inside Pennhurst as well as the way the patients were treated by staff were absolutely deplorable. Patients wandered around naked and the floors were covered in urine and feces. Staff members violently restrained the patients and physically and sexually abused them. In fact, while at Pennhurst, it was reported that hundreds of patients sustained injuries such as broken bones and missing teeth. Instead of improving, patients were getting worse in their disabilities. Those who were perfectly capable of grooming and feeding themselves could no longer.

There were many patient deaths at Pennhurst, and the patients themselves were quite aware of this and very afraid. None of the patients wanted to be sent to the dreaded Unit 6, as this was “where they kill you”.

In the 1960s, a Philadelphia news station ran an expose called “Suffer the Little Children” in five minute segments on the conditions at Pennhurst. It made the public aware of the filth and overcrowding within this institution.

Finally, the neglect and abuse raised the eyebrows of the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens and other organizations. After a few class-action lawsuits and many investigations, the state agreed to close Pennhurst in 1985.

Walking through the corridors and empty rooms of Pennhurst, I had an eerie feeling that the patients who once inhabited these buildings weren’t treated so well. There were many objects still left lying about in the rooms, many of which I couldn’t identify. I was told that one strange looking cushion-type fixture was used to restrain the patients. I investigated the object in question a little bit further, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was true.

The most disturbing thing I saw while exploring Pennhurst was the upper floor of one of the buildings. First of all, the stairway leading to it was boarded up very recently as to keep anyone from going up there. Of course, the boards were hacked through and the floor was once again accessible. Once we made it up the stairs, we saw exactly what it was we were being kept away from: rooms with pieces of the walls cut out, almost resembling cages. Now let me try to explain this a bit better–it looked as though someone cut square holes in the walls right down to the wire mesh so whoever was inside the rooms could be watched. Since the squares were cut so perfectly, this was definitely not the work of vandals, my friends. It was obvious that the rooms were once occupied by someone, given the closets and sinks inside them. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Much of Pennhurst was the same with the exception of the dietary building, which was where the cafeteria and kitchen were, the store building, and the barber shop in the basement of a building. I have to admit, this was the last thing we expected to find, especially in a basement!

On this trip, we did find the morgue as well. Compared to the morgues of other hospitals and such, this one was a tad bit disappointing. It was tiny and only had three well-hidden freezers. If I had walked a little bit faster, I would have passed it right by never knowing what this room was intended for.

Pennhurst is in very bad disrepair after being abandoned for almost twenty years. Many of the upper floors were rotted and very nerve wrecking to walk on–there were a few instances where I felt the heel of my foot penetrate the soft wood floors. There are many places where water has seeped through the roof and done irreparable damage, thus contributing to the rotting floors as well. I enjoyed the exploration, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else for the reason that it’s too dangerous. Also, the military uses this property, so you’d best not be pokin’ around there, ya hear?

- Ember, 2003

USEFUL PENNHURST LINKS
Read a story written by a former patient of Pennhurst.: Highly recommended.

Six Lighted Windows: Another story from a former patient.

The Pennhurst Case: The Philadelphia Inquirer’s front page feature on David Ferleger’s 23 year involvement with this case.