Suppose you are a fan of horror stories. In that case, you may have noticed that a high percentage of their stories revolve around an abandoned hospital building, especially one that used to house deranged and psychotic patients. One ideal setting for a horror film is within the walls of Fairfield Hills Hospital.
The History of Fairfield Hills Hospital
If you happen to visit Newtown, Connecticut, you may notice an old abandoned colonial-style campus. The campus looks like a typical boarding school; however, this campus looking compound used to house psychotic patients during its operational lifetime.
In 1931, Fairfield Hills’s construction started as a result of overcoming the overcrowding problem of the two-state hospitals within the area. The hospital was designed by Walter P. Crabtree who envisioned a fireproof colonial-style hospital. It took two years for the hospital to be completed.
Start of Operation
Fairfield Hills Hospital opened its doors on June 1, 1933, when it received its first patients transferred from an overcrowded Connecticut Valle Hospital. In its first year of operation, Fairfield Hills had an initial population of less than 500 patients closely monitored by only three doctors. As the hospital continued its operations, it added its medical staff to 20 doctors, 50 nurses and around 100 employees. During the late 1960s, Fairfield Hills had a population of 4000 patients. Fairfield Hills became one of the largest institutions in New England that housed psychiatric patients.
Tunnels Beneath the Hospital
Fairfield Hills Hospital was designed to resemble a typical New England campus with around 15 distinct buildings. Connecting these buildings is a series of tunnels used by doctors and nurses to transfer psychiatric patients from one building to another.
These tunnels of the Fairfield Hills Hospital can be used for Horror Films.
The Closure of the Hospital
Fairfield Hills Hospital in its peak operation had over four thousand beds. This was a challenge since the hospital only employed 20 doctors during that time. During its operation, each doctor employed by the hospital had to oversee the treatments of more than 200 patients while each nurse had to take care of about 80 patients.
The State of Connecticut decided to close the hospital’s operations in 1995 due to the state’s need to save on costs. The remaining patients of Fairfield Hills were transferred to Connecticut Valley Hospital, which is located in Middletown.
Since its closure, Fairfield Hills grew a cult following which attracted several thrill-seekers who try to venture into the abandoned tunnels hoping to search for ghosts and other supernatural entities.
Reuse of Fairfield Hills
In 2004, the Town of Newtown bought Connecticut’s property to be used for municipal offices. Some of Fairfield Hills’ buildings are now being used as a Municipal Center and a Youth Academy. The Town of Newtown has laid out plans for the rest of the buildings. However, most of the buildings of Fairfield Hills are still unused and abandoned. Security guards strictly monitor these abandoned buildings to prevent trespassers and thrill-seekers from getting in.
