Camden County Insane Asylum
The Camden County Insane Asylum began in the late 1800's in Blackwood, NJ. It was the first facility for mental health care within Camden County. Before the Asylum was founded, a County poorhouse existed on the property. This was opened in 1803 and was a two-story wooden building which held only 25-30 patients. The small building was sectioned off to halve multiple small patients rooms going down the hallways. The doors had small holes in them so the patients can be fed without any actual interaction.
In 1878, it was determined by the county freeholders that a larger facility needed to be constructed. This gave the property the name of the lunatic asylum. The first new building to be constructed was a three-story structure that was meant to house a total of 90 patients. It gained the official title of Camden County Insane Asylum at Blackwood.
The next 50 years brought many additions and new structures to the campus. Nurses residences and a new admissions building were among these new additions. In 1925, Timber Creek was blocked by a dam that caused a formation of a scenic lake on campus. This would bring about another name change - The Camden County Insane Hospital at Lakeland.
This asylum saw the typical life of similar facilities of its time. Adopting treatments such as shock therapy, hydrotherapy, and even something deemed as the "tranquilizer chair". These treatments continued until the shift in treatment became a mix of occupational therapy and antipsychotic drugs. Through the 1960's, Lakeland saw negative press for its operations and staffing. The decision was made in 1998 to consolidate the entire campus to one facility on site that spanned across 226,000 square feet. Camden County also has the state-run Ancora Psychiatric Hospital to serve residents of the county. The remaining buildings of the Camden County Insane Asylum fell vacant and abandoned. Slowly the campus began seeing life again as the buildings were put to re-use. A US Army Reserve, Youth Detention Center, Department of Child Services, and other state and county offices can now be found occupying the old buildings.
Read MoreIn 1878, it was determined by the county freeholders that a larger facility needed to be constructed. This gave the property the name of the lunatic asylum. The first new building to be constructed was a three-story structure that was meant to house a total of 90 patients. It gained the official title of Camden County Insane Asylum at Blackwood.
The next 50 years brought many additions and new structures to the campus. Nurses residences and a new admissions building were among these new additions. In 1925, Timber Creek was blocked by a dam that caused a formation of a scenic lake on campus. This would bring about another name change - The Camden County Insane Hospital at Lakeland.
This asylum saw the typical life of similar facilities of its time. Adopting treatments such as shock therapy, hydrotherapy, and even something deemed as the "tranquilizer chair". These treatments continued until the shift in treatment became a mix of occupational therapy and antipsychotic drugs. Through the 1960's, Lakeland saw negative press for its operations and staffing. The decision was made in 1998 to consolidate the entire campus to one facility on site that spanned across 226,000 square feet. Camden County also has the state-run Ancora Psychiatric Hospital to serve residents of the county. The remaining buildings of the Camden County Insane Asylum fell vacant and abandoned. Slowly the campus began seeing life again as the buildings were put to re-use. A US Army Reserve, Youth Detention Center, Department of Child Services, and other state and county offices can now be found occupying the old buildings.
