At the dawn of the 20th century, Connecticut decided to build a new
asylum in the town of Preston, just down the river from Norwich. Dubbed
Norwich State Hospital, the campus would expand to over 30 buildings at
its peak, before deinstitutionalization closed it down. Perhaps the
most fascinating structure on the campus was the Salmon building, one of
the first constructed on the grounds in 1905. Salmon was a
maximum-security forensic (not guilty by reason of insanity) &
violent ward for male patients, with heavy iron bars built into the
foot-thick brick walls; there would be no escape, with airlock-style
doors throughout the hallways to ensure many layers of security.
Pictured here are some of the secure doors at sunset - a typical
patient room at left, and a seclusion room at right. Sadly, in 2012,
the Salmon building was unceremoniously demolished along with Awl (the
female equivalent), the Theatre, and the Powerhouse. Read more about the Salmon Building here.
