Fairfield Hills State Hospital, Newtown
By Ray Bendici | Category: Abandoned, HauntingsThe Damned Story: Opened in 1931 to help alleviate the overcrowding at other state mental hospitals, Fairfield Hills housed “mentally ill” (aka “the criminally insane”) patients from across the state. Built on over 770 bucolic acres, the 16 buildings — all connected by underground tunnels — were home to over 4,000 patients when filled to capacity. Like many of its patients, Fairfield Hills projected an outward image that seemed quite pleasing; what was happening inside behind closed doors and out of the public eye, however, was much darker and disturbing.
As you might expect, Fairfield Hills was like many hospitals in how the mentally ill were treated — with electric shock therapy, hydrotherapy, psychosurgery and frontal lobotomies, as well as a few suicides and “mysterious” deaths. Stories of abuse and cruelty were rampant. In short, it wasn’t a happy-smiley, fluffy-kitty and shiny-rainbow type of place.
With less and less patients being treated there, Fairfield Hills was closed by the state in 1995. And that’s when it seems the troubles began.
Because of its classic stately hospital look (red brick buildings, tall white columns, etc.), and its long, cruel history, it was used as a setting for the movie Sleepers as well as for MTV’s “Fear.” And as any abandoned mental hospital that’s been on TV will do, it’s brought a bevvy of paranormal investigators, psychics, abandoned-site explorers and other trouble seekers, who have claimed to have found evidence of hauntings, although no specific ghost/spirit/story is synonymous with the place.
Old hospital, underground tunnels, cruel history — must be haunted, right? Right? As with many hauntings, no definitive proof or evidence, just a lot of odd experiences and unusual claims.
If you’re interested in reading more, there’s an interesting site — fairfieldhills.com — that seems to have a lot of history of the site, along with numerous images, plus interviews with former employees and patients.
Our Damned Experience: Are the Hills alive with the sound of patients past? We have yet to be checked in for an examination.
If You Go: After so much national exposure, Fairfield Hills has drawn a little too much interest from aspiring paranormal groups and locals just looking to get into trouble, so the town of Newtown now actively and stridently patrols and enforces the “No Trespassing” rules, and are very quick to arrest. So don’t go.
[...] recently wrote about the dark history Fairfield Hills and the hauntings that are supposed to have gone on [...]
hey! i dont have a website to show you but ive got something totally true!
well one night me and my mom and her room mate got bored at home so we looked on the internet to find some scary places to goo look at.
When we saw that Fair Feild Hospital was actually a mental stitution we decided to go check it out. Seeing as how people were saying it was haunted.
So as we drove dow the road, it was a crystal clear night, I looked over this open feild with buildings in it. Now at the time i didnt relize that it was the Hospital. And out o no were a HUGE bolt of “lightning” or something comes out of the center buildning and connects it a bolt coming from the sky.
Now granted i dont really kno if that is even possible but honest to God thats what happened.
Sincerly
Ashely^_^
Ashley,
Lightening is very interesting. When the charged electrons come from the clouds they are invisible. What we see is actually the electricity going back up into the cloud. It happens so fast that we normally don’t see the direction and assume it is coming from the cloud.
Also, I’ve been there many times and saw just one abnormal thing. There was a light in my cameras lense that was shaking rapidly while I was not touching it, on a tripod, with no flashlight on.
I was the project mgr. for fairfield hills. Yes it is haunted many unexplained actions. But no one was ever allowed on site at any time by the state or town this was highly restricted due to the state of the blds. all tunnels have been sealed and any that tried to make would be arrested immediately. MTV once did a fake show, fake blood etc. nothing but hollywood. due to high asbestos and mold to enter is a risk to your health.
I was a patient there from September 1972 until June 1976. (Age 14-17). I worked with Tunnel Maintenance Supervisor Jimmy Fowler mopping the tunnels every week. I know those tunnels like the back of my hand. I could tell you stories of the horrific treatment of patients there. I saw so many nominally mentally ill patients being subjected to electroshock therapy for no other reason than the staff figured the patient might be difficult to handle. I was in Greenwich House when Joe Gillotte decided to take a can of lighter fluid and set Ward 1-A’s linen closet on fire, destroying the building. “Code 99″ was announced over the loud speaker whenever someone acted out, and orderlies from all the other buildings would run to that Ward and wrestle the patient down, strangling them in choke-holds and punching them, tying him/her to a bed and jabbing them in the butt with an injection of Thorazine. I was there and I saw it all. I still have nightmares about the place… It was simply a warehouse for the insane and the vast majority of employees had no real training in the care of the mentally ill.
Want to know anything about Fairfield Hills? Ask me. willapa_maestro@yahoo.com
I have worked at Greenwich House when it was rented and renovated by APT Foundation/DAYTOP. The Fire in the early 70′s was extensive to the inside of the building, though not to the outside. We keep that end locked-off and used the opposite side as a inpatient substance abuse facility for over 10-years. On occasion I have been into the burnt wing. There just an unbelieveable feeling that overcomes you in there. The hair on my body would stand right up, and the sense of other being hurt and suffering would overwhelm me. Any occasion I went in their I couldn’t wait to get out.
The side of the Greenwich House that we used was also a piece of work. We remoldeled the building before moving the program from Shelton to Fairfild Hills. The remains of the Electro-Shock, restriction-chairs, autopsy-tables etc. All remained till we first started the program their. The third floor is where the majority of the major treatments took place. We also kept this floor locked off. And used the first and second. Mind you their were 100 in-patients living their and a full facility program and School. Just to give you an idea of how big One-Building [Greenwich-House] is.
Often at night when walking alone the feeling of another walking behind you coulkd be felt. I also had a sleep walking episode their and Ihave never walked in my sleep. A couple friend of mine claimed I got out of bed and was upset, swearing and walking. At first they thought I was awke and had a problem with someone. Only to realise quickly i was alsleep. A friend said he walked me back to my bunk and continued to say everything was OK. I don’t remember “nothing” of this episode nor have I ever walked in sleep since or before?
Oh this is a pretty crazy place to be sure. I haven’t been back their since the buildings were closed. But it was common to drive to or from work and the residents from the FFH criminally Insane Ward would be out in the yard, some would sneak away having sex in the bushs, other by the side of the road. The care level by the State of CT left much to be desired. Verbal and Phsyical abuse were common. As it still is at the States other facility [Southbury Training Center] [Mental Retardation]. Thats still open and I also worked at Cottage 31 [behavior unit] for High Functioning, self abusive and aggressive residents. Restaining Chairs that resembled an Electric Chair are used their today! FFH was a mental Heath facility though both are similiar. The ward for the criminally insane was the last to close and the most severe and dangerous of all the buildings. I don’t for one minute doubt that both places are haunted. They have been to many wanton acts towards mankind for their not to be.
My mother’s cousin was a patient there for about 50 years. She was sent there as a teenager. I can remember my mother saying that she was not really mentally ill, she was there because her parents could not take care of her for some reason. My mother visited her sometimes and sent money and clothing. A couple of times she took her out to eat or shop, but she sometimes got out of control so my mother had to stop taking her on outings. I often think of her and feel that she suffered greatly being there. She may not have had problems to begin with, but living there probably made her crazy. Seeing the buildings and reading the stories it makes me sad that she and many others suffered there. Unfortunately, I think many mentally ill patients are still not receiving the best of care today.
i was there. i was 15 playing with a bb gun. somone i wont name had a small one hand held sling shot. every time i shot at a target. that somone would shoot a friend of mine with the sling shot then hide it so my friend would think im shooting him.. well that got me in the nut farm. and they dont do a dam thing for you there. i had to escape or id realy be nuts.. i broke the door down at night and in the lobby threw a chair at a window.. i got away and got a lawyer i was not allowed to do that. he took my case… and thats when i found out who was shooting at my friend.. he went to jail.. i went home after telling the attendants there to go —- —- selves.. but that place.. was a real horror. your afrade to sleep in there at night. dont listen to the white wash about it it was hell behind doors and im glad its gone
oooh, scary
Back in my high school days my brohaha’s and i would go bike-riding all through town. One night we stopped infront of the building along side Mile Hill, just resting b4 we went down past the high school and out of the corner of my eye I see two red glowing orbs. As i turned to fully get a glimpse i let my bro’s know what i was seeing. All three of us will tell you that, on the front porch of the building, there was a huge musclebound character with his arms crossed and a fragile old women sitting in a rocking chair. after witnessing this for about a minute or two we all freaked out and gunned it down mile hill. i never thought i’d ever be that happy to see the high school
That place is just so wonderfully creepy. i go jogging there at least once a month, and to be honest, i think its a shame the buildings are being torn down and renovated.
The ice cream socials on Thursday nights were fun and Nurse Smith gave me extra Melloril when I “behaved.”
Growing up in Trumbull I recall driving through the property to get to the entrance on Rte 84. I never had a clue what went on in there.