Kirkbride Buildings - Historic Insane Asylums Forum

THIS IS VERY GOOD NEWS...I JUST HOPE IT'S TRUE:

Lawmaker wants to save former NJ mental hospital
The Associated Press

Efforts to preserve the former Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital site in northern New Jersey may soon get a boost from a high-ranking lawmaker.

Calling it an important historic landmark that must be preserved, state Senate President Richard Codey plans to soon introduce legislation that would create a task force which would consider ways of saving the 133-year-old structure in Parsippany.

The proposed panel would include historians, mental health advocates, architects, local, county and state officials, as well as former Greystone patients and/or family members.

Preserve Greystone, a Morris County-based nonprofit group, has worked to educate people about Greystone and generate viable options for the future of the nearly half-million square-foot structure that dates to 1876, plus some 130 surrounding acres.

Codey _ a longtime mental health advocate _ wants the task force to provide a "thoughtful analysis" of how to preserve the former hospital's history and architectural integrity while considering the state's fiscal situation. He also wants to incorporate an educational component into any preservation effort.

Designed a few years after the Civil War by Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan, the former hospital is a French Renaissance/Second Empire-style building that features marble pillars, a rotunda and a chapel. Upon its completion, it was christened in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant.

The structure was turned over to the state treasury department after a new Greystone facility opened in Parsippany in 2008. Treasury officials then hired a real estate consultant to assess its future, a move that worried local residents and preservationists.

"Greystone has a complex history, one that should be preserved as both a celebration of how far we've come and a stark reminder of the indignities that individuals with mental illness suffered at one time," Codey told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "Without question, Greystone is a melting pot of cultural, social and architectural history."

Sounds like promising news! Do you have a link to the original article?

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_de ... pital.html

I almost never post a link to any thing any more. I have learned the hard way that links tend to dissappear over time. I also instruct members on my fourm to copy and paste all articles they come across...and those who don't, I add the full article to their post. Listed above is the link to the article from which I copied the story. Hope it helps.

Here is a second article I found about Greystone:

Greystone preservation gets boost from Codey
By Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger
January 01, 2010

The 133-year-old Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital is an important historic landmark that must be preserved, according to state Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), who hopes to form a task force to consider how to save the massive, abandoned structure in Parsippany.


click image for a full-sized view

A 2004 file photo of the now abandoned old Greystone Psychiatric Hospital building. The massive structure is not on any state or national historic registers, but a grassroots movement is starting to call attention to its history and get it registered and preserved.

Codey will introduce a resolution next week when the Senate reconvenes to establish a panel to include historians, mental health advocates, architects, local, county and state officials, plus former Greystone patients and/or family members.

Codey’s decision gives a huge boost to a fledgling grassroots Morris County effort to save the hospital and surrounding acreage. Preserve Greystone, a non-profit group, is working to educate the public about Greystone and generate viable options for the future of the nearly half-million square-foot structure that dates to 1876, plus some 130 surrounding acres.

‘‘Greystone has a complex history, one that should be preserved as both a celebration of how far we’ve come and a stark reminder of the indignities that individuals with mental illness suffered at one time,’’ said Codey, a longtime Greystone watchdog and mental-health advocate. "Without question, Greystone is a melting pot of cultural, social and architectural history."


click image for a full-sized view

View of an abandoned patients ward located in the old Greystone Hospital building. The massive structure is not on any state or national historic registers, but a movement is starting to call attention to its history and get it registered and preserved.

Codey wants the task force to provide a "thoughtful analysis’’ of how to preserve the history and architectural integrity of the old hospital while taking into account the state’s fiscal constraints. He also wants the task force to incorporate an educational component into any preservation effort.

Designed a few years after the Civil War by Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan, Greystone is a French Renaissance/Second Empire-style building, featuring marble pillars, a rotunda, beautiful interior staircases, striking reception areas and beautiful chapel. Upon its completion, the building was christened in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant.

When a new state-of-the-art Greystone opened in Parsippany last year, the old Greystone was abandoned and mothballed. It was turned over to the state treasury department, which hired a real estate consultant to assess its future. That worried local residents and preservationists, who were excited to learn about Codey’s interest.

"This is fantastic,’’ said Maureen Murray, a spokeswoman for Preserve Greystone. "We had talked about trying to get him (Codey) involved. This makes for a really happy New Year.’’


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/0 ... ts_bo.html

Greystone isn't on the National Register of Historic Places? Huh, I always assumed it was. How does a building like that get missed?
I really hope the building gets saved, and soon. It was only days after it was abandoned that it was vandalized, it's only a matter of time before something worse happens. It really seems like you can't leave your eye off these places for a second without something happening.

thomasp94 wrote:Greystone isn't on the National Register of Historic Places? Huh, I always assumed it was. How does a building like that get missed?
I really hope the building gets saved, and soon. It was only days after it was abandoned that it was vandalized, it's only a matter of time before something worse happens. It really seems like you can't leave your eye off these places for a second without something happening.

Yeah, you would think it's on the National Register of Historic Places, but this is New Jersey, the corruption state. Rumor has it that the state is filing for bankruptcy. I have no idea how difficult it would be to register Greystone or why someone hasn't done it already. Locals have been trying for years to call attention to its history and get it registered and preserved. This may be the boost they need.

I agree with you...I hope it's saved, but New Jersey is broke. We have a new governor coming in and he has alot on his plate. So, I doubt we will get much support from the state. But with help from state Senate President Richard Codey, whose wife was instritutionalized for awhile, Greystone is safe...for right now.

As far as the vandalism goes, I hear security is alot tighter around the complex. They have boarded up and locked up the place alot better. Cops patrol the grounds more. Most local newspapers haven't had any reports of illegal activity there. Hopefully, I will get there soon. A few of us from our group are planning a trip there. It's been some time since I was there and I'm curious to see what's going on.

thomasp94 wrote:Greystone isn't on the National Register of Historic Places? Huh, I always assumed it was.

same here! i must say that greystone is one of the most beautiful and intimidating structures i have ever seen. i can't come close to explaining the feelings that i had when i approached the kirkbride last autumn. i am also pleased to say that, according to locals, the security has been stepped up since mid-2009 and vandalism/tresspassing has been greatly slowed. let's hope it stays that way until this structure gets saved!