Not that there're a lot of them around to see, but still. I just prefer the industrial stuff a lot more. It's as simple as that, mainly because so much of it is a total mystery to me and I enjoy trying to figure out how things might have worked, if even on the most rudimentary level. Hospitals and asylums, on the other hand, are pretty easy to figure out. Bedrooms, common areas, bathrooms, etc. You don't have to be a genius to figure these things out. I've seen it all before.

And so it was with this attitude that I half-heartedly made my way over to Buffalo State Hospital. Teri and I had driven around the place before, and I was impressed by its size and ominous looking twin towers, but never really gave the place much thought. What I didn't realize then, was that its layout was something fairly unique in that it was designed using the Kirkbride plan. Actually, I had previously heard the name "Kirkbride" applied to this particular location but in my apathy (or ignorance) I just assumed it was the name of its principle architect.

No, the Kirkbride plan (who knew?) was one where patients quarters could be organized within a series of off-set wings branching out from a centrally located administrative area. Women on one side, men on the other. Not only could each wing be closed off if ever there was some sort of emergency (like a fire or pillow fight), but it also allowed patients to have their own sense of space and privacy. It was, by 1800s standards, a humane approach, developed during a time when mental illness was first starting to be recognized as something that might actually be curable.

But whatever. One of the problems with trying to get into this bad boy is the fact that it's technically inside the grounds of an active facility known as the Buffalo Psychiatric Centre. The first things you'll probably see when arrive are either patients walking around the grounds or a security truck stationed nearby, ready for routine patrols. Not the most ideal combination. While probably more concerned with roaming patients, it's safe to say that security is not going to be too happy seeing you in an area you're clearly not supposed to be. This, along with the inconvenient fencing surrounding the old building and the visibility factor once you're over it, and you begin to understand why the task of getting inside place has taken on somewhat mythic (albeit slightly jokey) proportions.

Ignoring all that, after giving the perimeter a full-on walky walky, I went back and climbed the most secluded (and fortunately easiest) section of the fence. From then on it was just a matter of checking windows and doors in hopes of finding a way in before security made their rounds. Inevitably all the windows were boarded shut. Frustratingly, when I’d find a slightly loose board and try to peel it back, I’d find yet another one screwed in directly behind it. To make matters worse, it occurred to me that beneath the boards were probably a set of nice old steel bars, too. Ugh.

Somewhere or other, though, I was able to find a way inside. I hasten to use the term "inside" since it was really only one floor of one wing. Any hopes of getting full access were quickly dashed when I found that the doorway leading to the main hallway was blocked off with (jesus f*cking christ) a steel gate set into the cement walls. Well, that wasn't about to budge. So, instead I had to settle for a few rooms that were used for storage of random items. Mostly just junk, with the exception of several cardboard boxes in which former patient records were held. So that much was interesting. Hand-written incident reports ("Jack was angry again today because he suspected.."), and medication dosage files ("10mg Clozapine"), the bulk of which were marked "Destroy 2005." Interesting, yet having to read through his stuff in a pitch-black room was more than a little bit creepy. I decided to leave and go look for some other way in.

.....

Annnd to make a long story short, the boxes full of paperwork would be as interesting as it got. We'll see how it goes next visit. There's still an entire side of the building to check, a few tight spaces to try crawling through and some manhole lids to pop open in hopes of finding a superfantastic magic tunnel that takes to where all the good
stuff is.

What? It could happen. Just wait.