These records are also open records. Photograph used by Mass Moments on 17 November 2005, Chickering House in Dedham, about 1935, was the project of Hannah Chickering. Since I couldn't ask him to speak up or repeat what he said, he assumed I was a moron. No matter what the reason, we want to find out what happened to them because all relatives have a part in our stories. This postcard was for sale by seller aboveall on Hippostcard.com in 2018. St 1945, c 291 allowed the microfilming of records and destruction of the originals, as was done with this series, which was microfilmed in 1947. Almshouse Dept. 26, 1971. Some have looked particularly at Massachusetts records. WebThis is a new book from Images of America on 'The Belchertown State School." WebAccessing these records means that we should understand two things: (1) the historical context of these illnesses, disabilities, and treatments because they differ so much from those of today, and (2) the laws and regulations pertaining to our ability to access these records. public records under the Massachusetts Freedom of Information Act, although some provide for access to patient records. Still later the state built large almshouses and workhouses. This page was last edited on 23 October 2022, at 04:58. 1-3353--May 1, 1872-Oct. 7, 1887), second section for paupers in the care of the workhouse; Persons supported at the State Primary School, Monson, and at the State Workhouse, Bridgewater, 1872-1882; Bond books for transfer of cadavers to medical schools, 1893-1944; Photographs of facilities and activities, ca. Overall Score 73.93 /100. Many annual reports are available on Google Books (, If you have difficulty accessing records that you feel should be open, please contact the MGC Massachusetts Records Director at, Several state agencies have web portals for modern records access. Gosnold, Mass. Note that those marked with a. are deemed restricted. Executive Summary of Report to Federal District Court with Attachments, Supplemental Federal Report to the Federal District Court with Attachments, June Report Describing the Status of Major Activities and Projects Relative to Consent Decree Compliance and Community Plan Implementation, A Public Hearing Taken Before the Department of Mental Health, Report of the Legislative Research Council, Relative to Requiring prior Legislative Approval. Later, workhouses were developed in towns. 44 (July-September 2018): 27-33. Registers of patients in private mental hospitals, 1884-1919 ((M-Ar)993X), Programs and institutions for the mentally ill and retarded of Massachusetts were among the responsibilities successively of the Board of State Charities (St 1863, c 240), State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (St 1879, c 291), and State Board of Lunacy and Charity (St 1886, c 101). Amy's story will inspire you to delve into this type of record to learn your family's story. SCUA's reading room is open 9:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday (except on certain holidays and during breaks), through the end of the spring semester. Defendants' Comments in Response to Court Monitors Report and on Plaintiff's motion to close certain buildings at Belchertown State School. When we cant trace family members beyond a particular point in time, one possibility is that the family member was institutionalized. The second type of record is registration information. Reports, Surveys, Photographs, 1911-1974; Massachusetts State Archives, record group HS9.11/1072X. 1899, Templeton, Templeton Colony of Fernald School. Originals (sample only): 0.17 cubic ft. (1 doc. Web[*729] [**419] On April 26, 1976, William E. Jones, superintendent of the Belchertown State School (a facility of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health), and Paul R. Rogers, a staff attorney at the school, petitioned the Probate Court for Hampshire County for the appointment of a guardian of Joseph Saikewicz, a resident of the State school. See blog post at http://goodoldboston.blogspot.com/2011/03/industrial-school-for-crippled-and.html. WebThe Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded was established in 1922 in Belchertown, Massachusetts. Several state agencies have web portals for modern records access. These are often used to locate. WebThe Belchertown State School Administration Building was constructed between 1926-1927 and designed in the Colonial Revival style by the prominent Boston architectural firm of Kendall, Taylor & Co. 1873, Danvers, State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers. e-mail, commonly used software applications, intranet/internet) For access guidelines to restricted records, call the Massachusetts State Archives, 617-727-2816. Restricted series: Mental health client information restricted by statutory provision; for conditions of access consult repository; Restricted series: Mental retardation client information restricted by statutory provision; for conditions of access consult repository; Agency history record (CStRLIN)MASVAH0080-A/(OCoLC)145429353 describes the history and functions of the Department of Mental Health, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives, The ArchiveGrid website uses HTTP Amy permitted MGC to record her talk and to display it permanently on our Institutional Records page. That library is the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University School of Medicine, 10 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115. The Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded was established in 1922 in Belchertown, Massachusetts. 1,117 likes. The collection of the photojournalist Jeff Albertson includes a series of photographs taken of the conditions at Belchertown State School in Dec. 1972. Still later the state built large almshouses and workhouses. The first report from the commission in March 1971 was scathing: The deterioration of Belchertown State School speaks for itself - a departmental inability to face up to the facts to accept the idea that there are alternatives to custodial methods of care, the resistance to the development of standards, the unclear and undefined lines of authority and responsibility in the department, the absence of management systems and management control, the severe lack of administrative coordination, the unrealistic emphasis on promises and not performance, the low esteem for the dignity and the potential rehabilitation of the individual residents, the misuse of available resources at Belchertown, and the negative and obstructionist attitude of the administration at the school." WebSynopsis: In 1949, six-year-old Donald Vitkus is committed to Belchertown State School, an institution for retards, in rural western Massachusetts. 1907, Lakeville, Lakeville State Sanatorium, later called Lakeville Hospital. 1839, South Boston, Boston Lunatic Hospital, later called Boston Insane Hospital, Boston State Hospital. of Mental Retardation records groups, listed in the same collection guide as above. The mentally ill in the early colonial period could be treated as witches or as felons or in the system developed for treating the destitute. of Mental Health (St 1938, c 486). 1884, Concord, Massachusetts Reformatory, later called M.C.I. 1922, Belchertown, Belchertown State School. Robert Hornick recounts the story of the Belchertown State School in Belchertown, Massachusetts, from its beginnings in the 1920s to its closure in the 1990s following a scandalous expos and unprecedented court case that put the institution under direct supervision of a federal judge. Given the history of mistreatment of its patients, I had no idea what to expect. 95 Sargent Street, Belchertown, MA 01007 (Directions) 413-323-7212. In 1909 it became Bridgewater State Hospital. WebP.O. en_US: dc.subject.lcsh: People with mental disabilities -- Care -- Massachusetts -- Belchertown. From 1918 to 1922, it operated as a farm colony of the Wrentham State School, opening formally in November 1922 with the transfer of nearly 200 boys from the older schools. 12287-18075; Jan. 1863-June 26, 1872), first section;catalog link. Titicut Follies is a 1967 movie of conditions in Bridgewater State Hospital. The graveyards tombstones are all photographed on Find A Grave here. Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary (Mass. In the early period, people facing challenges often remained at home under the care of family members. Press the Shop button to find the many bookstores which sell Amy's book. Parents sued the school, and when the state Attorney General toured the facility, he described it as "a hell hole.". Motions for Consolidation and Oppositions to Motions. Defendant's Request to Expand the Hearing, U.S. District Court Order, number of Staff, Court Monitor's Report and Recommendations on Plaintiffs' Motion to Close Buildings, Motion to Proceed with Extraordinary Measures. WebBelchertown State School. The leper (now called Hansens disease) hospital operated from 1905 to 1920, always under the same name. Its this story that has so much meaning when we share it with our family. It became known for inhumane conditions and poor treatment of its patients, and became the target of a series of lawsuits prior to its eventual closing in 1992. inmate registers, 1906-1950, Massachusetts State Archives, record group HS9.10/2543X*. : MS 302 Finding aid The Belchertown State School Friends Association was established in 1954 to promote improved conditions at Belchertown State School and better treatment of retarded or mentally challenged citizens in Massachusetts more generally. For a contemporary account, see Reminiscences of the Boston Female Asylum. It was for a period of time affiliated with Harvard Medical School. . The full content of Titicut Follies is now available on YouTube, just dont view it while you are in Massachusetts unless you are in a qualified group: doctors, lawyers, judges, health-care professionals, social workers, and students in these and related fields.. For a look at conditions in the almshouse, see Lucile O'Connell, Caring for the Sick Poor: The State Almshouse at Bridgewater, 1854-1887 Bridgewater Review 3 (December 1984): 8-12. Mark Gerrity, Ethan McElroy, Dave Walsh, Kristen Polci-Parsons, Chris Sparks, Karen Bourdelias, Katherine Anderson. It was for a period of time affiliated with Harvard Medical School. series describing her search for her grandfather's parents. The last burial was for a woman who died 20 December 1920. June 15: closing at noon for library staff event Shirley. The old state institutions have been dismantled or repurposed. The Dept. See the Massachusetts State Archives full description of name changes, The State Farm Hospital Cemetery is partially posted on Find-A-Grave, Titicut Follies is a 1967 movie of conditions in Bridgewater State Hospital. Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rebecca L. Kudron , M.Ed., Director of Student Support Services and Out of District Coordinator. The records that we access are under the authority of the Massachusetts Secretary of State through the Massachusetts State Archives at Columbia Point in Boston. 154 Hicks Way : Amherst, Mass. Kaitlin Connolly, Old Massachusetts Hospital Records and Patient Files, posted 13 March 2017, State Library of Massachusetts Blog (http://mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2017/03/old-massachusetts-hospital-records-and.html). ", Admissions card files for state institutions, 1892-1954 (bulk 1910-1928), Inpatient commitment registers, 1886-1926, Equipements pour personnes ayant une deficience intellectuelle, Equipements pour personnes ayant une deficience intellectuelle -- Patients, Hopitaux psychiatriques -- Admission et sortie, Intellectual disability facilities patients, Psychiatric hospitals -- Admission and discharge, Boston State Hospital Psychopathic Department. of Mental Diseases (St 1919, c 350, ss 79-81), and Dept. Plan, The Developmentally Disabled: Civil Rights Issues, Final report of the Mass. They could be transferred to Bridgewater under some conditions, such as a court order stating they had to serve at the Bridgewater State Workhouse or if they were considered demented. The state has been at the forefront of treatment options. The original records of many hospitals and institutions are held in Massachusetts State Archives Record Group HS. O= Okin; G= Gauthier; Mc= McEvoy; R= Ricci; MARC= Massachusetts Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc. SCUA also houses a small collection of photographs from Aubrey Lapolice, a maintenance superintendent at the Belchertown State School for forty years. Pekinese Island is just to the north of Cuttyhunk. Box 670, Belchertown MA 01007 `X413) 323*0778 IV.D.
