Pigeon Poop Psychiatric Hospital
The Pigeon Poop State Hospital is widely known for its infamous building 25, which is covered in a layer of pigeon poop on the top floor. The hospital itself dates back to 1912 when the hospital initially opened as a farm colony with 32 patients. By 1918, that number had grown to 150 patients and the hospital was now housed in an abandoned National Guard Barracks. Being situated in a highly urban environment, the population was an outstanding 7,000 patients by 1959.
The state hospital in the 1970's was described as completely "out of control". incidents at the hospital were occurring at an outstanding rate. Within a 20 month span, there were 3 rapes, 22 assaults, 52 arson fires, 130 burglaries, 6 suicides, one shooting, one riot, and one other attempted murder. Patients were widely unsupervised and allowed to freely roam the grounds, even those who were institutionalized for committing murder. Patients escaped by casually walking off the grounds. After deinstitutionalization hit the hospital, many buildings were shuttered and sold by 2006. A large "classic NY style" high rise building still functions as a state hospital today. The original campus now houses various out-patient programs and state offices. Before its closure, the hospital did house a number of well-known people as patients. These people included Lou Reed, Bud Powell, and Woody Guthrie (who eventually died at the facility).
Read MoreThe state hospital in the 1970's was described as completely "out of control". incidents at the hospital were occurring at an outstanding rate. Within a 20 month span, there were 3 rapes, 22 assaults, 52 arson fires, 130 burglaries, 6 suicides, one shooting, one riot, and one other attempted murder. Patients were widely unsupervised and allowed to freely roam the grounds, even those who were institutionalized for committing murder. Patients escaped by casually walking off the grounds. After deinstitutionalization hit the hospital, many buildings were shuttered and sold by 2006. A large "classic NY style" high rise building still functions as a state hospital today. The original campus now houses various out-patient programs and state offices. Before its closure, the hospital did house a number of well-known people as patients. These people included Lou Reed, Bud Powell, and Woody Guthrie (who eventually died at the facility).
