Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital

History

The original tuberculosis sanatorium was built here in 1907. It was originally designed only for the treatment of patients deemed curable. Records indicate that about 10,000 patients were treated successfully.

The sanatorium was the only public facility in New Jersey for the treatment of tuberculosis.

This policy would change in the 1920s and the facility began to in the more severe cases. Tuberculosis was particularly virulent and contagious disease before the discovery of anti-biotics and fatalities were common.

One estimate is that there may be as many as 25,000 unmarked graves surrounding the facility.

In the 1950s the hospital expanded to treat all disease of the lungs and it finally closed down in the 1970s. The buildings were left abandoned.

In 1977 a facility was opened right next to the old sanatorium for the treatment of geriatric patients suffering from mental illnesses. In 1986 it was re-named after Senator Garret Hagedorn.

It was the only State run facility that didn’t accept the criminally insane creating a safe environment for the patients.

In 2012 Governor Chris Christie shut down the facility saying it would save the State 9 million dollars a year and thus taking away the only safe place for non-violent geriatric mentally ill patients. The buildings were left to rot much like the sanatorium before it.

The site remains State lands and entering the property is trespassing. The State claims it is turning the property into a wildlife management area but with it remaining closed to the public for over a decade now has led to a number of conspiracy theories as to what they are really doing there.

The site can be easily be seen from above from the parking lot of a veterans facility at the end of Sanatorium Road. This would be the 200 Sanatorium Rd address given on many websites.

Paranormal Activity

Apparitions of former patients and staff have been seen both wandering the grounds and in the buildings. Faces are also seen looking out of the shattered windows of the buildings.

Unexplained mists are often seen on the property; some almost human shaped and sometimes they flow against the wind.

Numerous reports of unexplained sounds from low whispers to loud bangs.

Other reported activity: disembodied voices; objects moving on their own; cold spots; phantom footsteps; feelings of being watched and not being alone; electrical disturbances and light anomalies.