Barbaric abandoned school where patients' teeth pulled and maggots came out ears

06 January 2024 , 19:52

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A room in the former school, where wards were overpopulated and youngsters were living in their own filth (Image: No credit)

The Belchertown State School in Western Massachusetts, once described as 'barbaric' and 'a hell hole,' was a place of horror for its patients.

The school, which opened in 1922, housed around 700 students with mental health disorders and developmental disabilities.

Despite its grand campus, it was revealed in the 1970s that the patients were living in dreadful conditions and were terribly mistreated. In 1972, a patient's father filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming the young residents were living in horrific conditions. Benjamin Ricci, the father, released a book in 2004 titled 'Crimes Against Humanity: A Historical Perspective'.

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The Abandoned Remains Of Belchertown State School Asylum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu5UeIxxwCw&ab_channel=NewEnglandWildlife%26More (No credit)

He detailed the horrors he witnessed during his visit to the school. He wrote about seeing children naked, covered in urine, faeces, and food, with "maggots wriggling inside or crawling out of the infected ears of several helpless, profoundly r******d persons while they lay in their crib-beds."

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Reports suggest that many patients had their teeth removed by staff to make feeding easier.

The school in the lawsuit, believed to have around 900 students, was severely understaffed. So much so that more capable students were enlisted to help care for their less capable peers. Richard Dresser, a former student, recounted some harrowing experiences at the institution.

The buildings on the school campus have been boarded up (New England Wildlife & More / YouTube)

Dresser revealed: "I could tell you some things that happened to me when I was in State School. I don't forget things. It's like a nightmare, going to a movie or something. And that's one thing you don't forget - the tragedies and abuse and all the stuff that happened to you as a kid livin' in a place like that."

In 1972, Judge Joseph Tauro of the Massachusetts District Court, unannounced, visited the school to verify Ricci's accusations. He confirmed the awful conditions, even witnessing "a little girl drinking from a faeces-filled commode." Tauro dubbed the facility "a hell hole".

The Massachusetts District Court judge said the school was a 'hell hole' (New England Wildlife & More / YouTube)

Judge Tauro catalysed improvements in the Massachusetts mental healthcare facilities. He advocated for budget increases, better staff training, and rigorous governmental supervision. However, despite these efforts, Belchertown had to close permanently in 1992.

After the school closed in 1992, the building was abandoned and due to the dangerous chemical waste, it remains untouched and closed off from the rest of of Belchertown (No credit)

Plans to repurpose the decrepit building have been stalled due to the presence of hazardous materials that need correct disposal. Consequently, the structure now lies abandoned, overrun by nature and carrying its dark past.

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Alana Loftus