okay, so this place needs a little background, unlike the houses I visit sometimes, historically this place is of more importance. Central Islip was one of four of the largest mental hospitals in the world, all of which were found concentrated in suffolk county, long island. Opened in the late 19th century, these hospitals, from what information I've gathered, were quite progressive. They were, and this is apparent upon a visit, very much self sustaining cities in many ways. They were originally run on the premise that work was also therapy, and thus the patients, of which there were 10,000 by 1955, worked on what was called a farm colony, before the advent of medication. Central Islip grew smaller as deinstitutionalization became more common place, due to advances in medicine, specifically Thorazine. Many of the buildings that once comprised Central Islip have been torn down, the power plant even imploded. Of those still left standing many are being used as a part of a college campus, New York Institute of Technology, I believe. There are, however, many left vacant as well, though security is quite intense. I saw several cop cars, and several more campus security cars. That was the main reason, besides utter fatigue from lack of strong coffee, I didn't figure out how to get into any of the buildings. But a second trip is warranted, to be sure, sometime in the future.
Central-Islip-State-Hospital Sewer
you can still see where the bars were on the porches, these are now buildings that are part of the college.
exterior of sunburst group
Central-Islip-State-Hospital Sewer
you can still see where the bars were on the porches, these are now buildings that are part of the college.
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