On one of our almost-daily hikes, the man of the house and I returned to the scene of the crime, or more accurately, to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, the place where we met.
No, we weren’t patients, though our children love to shock their friends by saying that’s where we met.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/mclib/2222739491/ Main Building on a sunny day |
I worked in recreation for three long years, my first full time, not-a-summer-job job. Then I went back to school part time and worked in personnel. Finally, when I was in grad school and ready to do my psychology internship, where did they assign me? Of course, Greystone. I couldn’t seem to escape the place.
Working there was…well…insane. We met people from outer space and many, many versions of the Messiah. We made life-long friends and had so many experiences that wouldn’t have made sense to people who didn’t work there.
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| No idea what this is! |
The place could get pretty spooky. Dark, damp, and scary tunnels ran from building to building with an atmosphere that would have felt at home in a horror movie. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was just a routine day at work for us.
The State of New Jersey gradually removed most of the patients and let the buildings fall into disrepair. And due to various political machinations, the beautiful Main Building that had been the centerpiece of the hospital eventually was knocked down in spite of the efforts of a “Preserve Greystone” group.
Maybe it’s natural to grow nostalgic as the year draws to a close, but as we walked the paths we once followed many years ago, we’d point out landmarks that used to be part of our daily lives. The grounds are still beautiful, but now they’re home to a huge county park with soccer and baseball fields, a dog park, a hockey rink, and a handicap-accessible playground.
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| All that's left of the Main Building |
But pretty soon the days will start to get longer and the sun will shine and the grounds will be beautiful again. And this year will finally be behind us.
We don't see architecture like that anymore. The psychiatric buildings here had underground tunnels connecting them together and still exist. Lots of stories about these places. Thanks for your hard work at Greystone. And you have a memorable story about meeting your husband there.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame, isn't it, that things can't always be preserved. You've got some great memories there, though. Thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteThat's why I believe the camera was one of the greatest things ever invented. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t get the analogy to this year of terrible things until the end, Hannah. Thank you for such beautiful words to give us hope for the upcoming year. By spring we, too should be seeing lighter, better days. It’s a shame the building was lost...but at least it wasn’t replaced by condos.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful memory! It is sad how not everything can remain the same. But you and your husband can walk back there and remember!
ReplyDeleteI find places like that definitely have a sense of the mood of those who went before, happy or sad. But most people don't slow down enough to feel it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful, nostalgic memory. I bet if those walls could talk there would be many a story to tell. I see a series. Definitely brighter times ahead.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe they demolished such a historic Kirkbride building. I was reading about the Kirkbride buildings only a few days ago. This was a sweet post, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating story. I hope you plan to use that background in lots of books. Certainly would be different and with your talent, awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis was so interesting. I'm so sad they tore it down.
ReplyDeleteIn some states they've turned those buildings into resorts or a mix of retail and living spaces. I was hoping for the same here. Thanks, everyone!
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