Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital was a public hospital in Marlboro Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, which was operated by the State of New Jersey. Construction of the hospital began in 1929. It first opened in early 1931, with Dr. J.B. Gordon as medical director. According to the site plan, the hospital's campus was on . A perimeter fence completely enclosed the property. The land was mostly a rural environment. When it closed, the hospital was on , having enlarged the grounds over the years. It opened with a capacity to accommodate 500-800 patients. The grounds construction continued after opening and when completed, the hospital was expected to have a capacity of 2,000 patients. However, in 1995, the hospital served an average of 780 adults per day with a staff of 1,157 employees and a total budget of $55.5 million (fiscal year 1995). The budget in 1998 was $68 million. The facility was closed July 1, 1998. The hospital finished complete demolition of the structures, tunnels, roads and other infrastructure in early 2015.
Description
Starting in 1928, Five hundred and nine acres were eventually purchased by the State of New Jersey. Some of the land was in Wickatunk for the construction of Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. The hospital's original working name was "Hillsdale asylum at Wickatunk". It was later known as "The Hilldale Development" before becoming known as "Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital" When first constructed, the hospital was composed of 17 "state of the art" cottages and central buildings. Each cottage would hold 55 patients. The initial project was budgeted for $6,000,000. Needing additional space, in 1934, two three story dormitories were also constructed for $300,000. In addition to the hospital grounds, the hospital initially maintained outpatient "mental hygiene clinics" in central New Jersey.
Originally set up to treat adults, the hospital started treating children in 1939. At Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital, the cottages were initially Tudor style dormitories which housed as many as 55 patients each. The cottage model was selected because it was felt that treatment could best be provided by grouping similar diagnosed people. The cottages were all constructed around a huge ellipse with the exception of two cottages which were to house violent patients. A decision to provide air conditioning to hospital patients was made in 1965 with a budget of $40,000. This money was obtained from the profits from the patient item store called the "Jigger Shop". However, only a couple of high priority areas were done and the rest of the hospital remained unconditioned.
A decision to expand the scope of serviced counties occurred in 1972. At that time, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital which handled Essex county was overcrowded and Marlboro started to receive patients from western Essex county. In January 1972, 150 patients began arriving to relieve the over crowding and facilitate the ability to expand Graystone Hospital.
End of year patient population is shown in graph to right.
A decision to close the hospital was made in 1995 by Governor Christine Todd Whitman; following a 1993 investigation by then State Senator Richard J. Codey, during which he went undercover at the hospital and found rampant patient abuse, wasteful spending, and other illegal practices. His report stated that he saw patients "were treated with less care than the average prisoner." The process was to start in 1996 and complete the process in three years. The goal was to place patients in community support homes. An initial plan was to provide a $450 a month stipend and "create 40 mobile outreach teams to provide therapy and help with housing, medication and daily living. The teams would include psychologists, nurses and mental health advocates who would be on call 24 hours a day". The hospital closed in 1998.
Structures
Fireproof construction
The buildings were considered fireproof - the floors were of concrete covered by linoleum, and the walls and partitions were made of hollow tile. Asbestos was used on pipes and between floors to retard any fire outbreak, which became a significant issue during demolition.
Hospital tunnels
Tunnels were constructed between the buildings to facilitate movement of people and supplies between the structures in all types of weather. They were used to deliver equipment, food and the movement of patients and staff. In later years, showing their age, the tunnels were problematic. Low-hanging pipes often dropped dirt and other items. They were reported to be "dark, dirty and had a foul odor... there was urine and excrement on the floors". The tunnels were also the location of a number of suicides.