Fernald State School in Massachusetts.

Fernald State School in Massachusetts. 

When was this "asylum" opened, and what did it look like? Did it follow Kirkbride's design?  

-The Fernald State School was founded by Samuel Gridley Howe in 1848. By its peak the Fernald State School consisted of a 186 acre campus of multiple buildings including dormitories as well as farm land. The campus would eventually total 72 buildings. From pictures available on the internet it looks as if the builds were all quite tall and boxy, not following the Kirkbride design.

What was this institution's original intent?

- The Fernald State School was the first publicly supported institution for people with intellectual disabilities in the western hemisphere. The institution became the “poster child” for the American eugenics movement during the 1920s.

Who were the patients there? Do narratives of their experiences exist?

-At its peak the Fernald State School confined 2500 people, most of which were “feeble-minded” boys. A book entitled “The State Boys Rebellion” is an expose which uses school archives, previously sealed papers, and interviews with the surviving state boys to tell the story of life at Fernald State School starting in the late 40s. (I would highly recommend reading this!)

What was the patients' experience like in that institution, and did that change over the course of the institution's history?

-The individuals who lived at Fernald State School were not only held there against their will, they were also exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of staff members. This is particularly upsetting when remembering most of the “patients” at the State School were children. While this inhuman treatment was horrific, unfortunately it was not uncommon amongst psychiatric institutions at the time. What set the Fernald State School apart from other institutions at the time was the discovery that between 1946 and 1956 Fernald State School exposed mentally ill children to radioactive isotopes to document its effects. The School did not have permission from the children or their parents, and they told the kids they were part of a “science club.” These experiments were conducted by Harvard University and MIT and sponsored by Quaker Oats. The kids were fed radioactive oatmeal.  When this information was uncovered there was a subsequent legal battle that ultimately won survivors a multimillion dollar settlement.

Did the institution, its services, and patients change over time? 

-The campus survived into the twenty-first century as a center for mentally disabled adults which was maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation. In 2001 Fernald housed 320 residents. The Fernald Center closed in 2014 when remaining residents were integrated into community services or other state-operated programs. 

How many people lived, worked, and died there? 

-At its peak the State School held about 2,500 people. Many of them were young boys who may or may not have been mentally disabled, but rather were simply poor, uneducated children with no other place to go. 

Were bad conditions ever exposed to the public? How?

- “Christmas in Purgatory” expose

-The inhuman environment of the institution was exposed in the 1970s which resulted in a class action lawsuit (Ricci v. Okin) being filed to upgrade the schools overall condition including facilities and staffing. 

Would you have wanted "treatment" in this institution?

I would not have wanted to be housed in the institution. The abuse and neglect were pervasive, let alone considering the unethical medical experiments being done on children. I think I wouldn’t have enjoyed being treated anywhere where I’m not afforded the freedom to leave if I so chose to. 

https://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php/Fernald_State_School

https://www.amazon.com/State-Boys-Rebellion-Michael-DAntonio/dp/074324513X