Kirkbride Buildings Blog

Archive for July, 2008

Weston Clocktower Repair

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Weston State HospitalAsylum enthusiast Taylor/WSH posted about this on the forum: Joe Jordan, current owner of the Weston State Hospital Kirkbride has received funds from the state to repair the building’s clocktower. West Virginia’s Historic Preservation Office has granted $104,000 for repairs. Mr Jordan will match the grant with another $104,000 plus work from staff and volunteers. Work is expected to begin around the first of September. (more…)

Technology is Awesome!

Monday, July 7th, 2008

It’s amazing: the same wonderful technology that allows me to basically publish a book internationally for pennies a day also allows me to accidentally delete seven years of work in ten seconds flat. Last night I accidentally deleted several hundred files from this web site and spent a few frantic hours re-uploading as much as I could. Luckily I’m pretty good about doing back ups so I didn’t lose anything except for one new page I was working on. I’ve got most everything back online now, but thanks to a DSL line that’s been going down regularly for the past week or so* (and which I will throttle to death as soon as this post is published), there are a few pictures and some small custom touches missing from the blog. I’ll have those back soon, but hopefully no one will even notice.

If you do see anything wrong with the site though, please let me know. I’d very much appreciate it.

* Tip to DSL users: if you move into an old house and need a technician to check your phone lines more than twice because you’re DSL keeps going down, do yourself a favor and get cable internet access ASAP.

Nor’East Architectural Antiques Fire

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

I just heard this from a friend: on June 3rd, Nor-East Architectural Antiques burned to the ground. Nor’East was the company that won salvage rights to Danvers State Hospital as well as to the Northampton, Foxboro, and Metropolitan state hospitals.

Not only have we lost most of the buildings, but now all these artifacts are gone as well. I don’t know all the details, but there must have been many beautiful pieces of asylum history that burnt in the flames. Hopefully a good number of items salvaged from the hospitals were sold well before this tragedy though. (more…)

Books on Amazon

The Art of Asylum Keeping The Eclipse of the State Mental Hospital The Mad Among Us America's Care of the Mentally Ill Angels in the Architecture The Architecture of Madness Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals The Eye of Danvers: A History of Danvers State Hospital
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