- North Princeton Developmental Center
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The North Princeton Developmental Center is an abandoned site located within the confines of Montgomery Township, New Jersey. The NPDC has been home to a variety of mental health institutions throughout the years. It is now condemned, as the buildings within the confine are unsafe to occupy. The facility has gained much notoriety over the past decades due to its "ghost town" appearance and mention in the popular book, "Weird N.J."[1] It is now a popular place for enthusiasts to explore, though they are met with increasing resistance from state and local law enforcement. The site is prone to criminal activity, ranging from graffiti to arson. State and local governments have both made reasonable attempts to keep trespassers out by sealing the entrances and windows of the buildings on the property, though these methods have proven to be relatively ineffective.[2]
History
The NPDC came into existence in 1898 after former Governor Foster M. Voorhees signed a bill into law that established the State Village for Epileptics. Intended to subvert the admittance of epileptic patients into insane asylums and other unnecessarily harsh environments, the State Village for Epileptics offered this group a much more supportive and decent atmosphere in which they could thrive. The State Village was designed to be a completely autonomous community; within its boundaries were educational and medical facilities, a theater, a fully functional farm, a firehouse, a water treatment facility, an on-site landfill, housing, and even a power plant. The institution was considered to be an exemplary and progressive facility targeted at the treatment of epileptics.
In later years, namely throughout the Great Depression and World War II, the State Village suffered from financial cutbacks, which resulted in understaffing and overcrowding of the facilities. The dismal state of the institution during these times earned it the popular name, “The Snake Pit of New Jersey”.[2]
With the advent of new prescription medications during the late 1940s, the State Village for Epileptics became obsolete by the early 1950s. With the aid of these new medications, many of the residents of the institution were able to function more efficiently within normal society, and were ultimately able to reintegrate themselves into the mainstream population. In 1953, the facility was turned into the New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute. This new institution focused on treatment and research of alcoholics, drug-addicts, people with cerebral palsy, and emotionally disturbed children.
The State of New Jersey closed down the facility in 1995, with the very last of the patients being removed in 1998. By this time, the facility had been designated as the North Princeton Developmental Center.[1]
On January 23, 2007, Montgomery Township purchased the 256-acre (1.04 km2) property on which the NPDC resides for a total of $5.95 million.[3] The Township intends on demolishing or renovating the existing structures and replacing them with a large town center, which might include health care facilities, shops, housing for senior citizens, and parks.[4] Since the purchase of the property, the Township has experienced much difficulty with the clean up of the site. Many hazardous materials are still on-site which make the property uninhabitable. Most of these contaminants remain from the use of oil and coal heating systems, as well as the power plant, both of which were used by the facilities prior to condemnation. The Township has also encountered large amounts of asbestos in the buildings which has proven to make the restoration exponentially more difficult and costly. Much care is being taken with the progression of this project as the Village School, the local elementary school, is surrounded by the NPDC property.[3] After coming across these problems and unwilling to pay the associated expenses, Montgomery Township decided to sue the State of New Jersey citing the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as well as the State Environmental Rights Act.[2]
References
Categories:- Buildings and structures in Somerset County, New Jersey
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