Essex County Hospital Center

The Essex County Hospital Center is a county hospital located in the Township of Cedar Grove, New Jersey. The hospital is used to house mentally ill patients that are in need of care.

History

In 1896, a large portion of land was purchased by the City of Newark, New Jersey; the land was bought to build a new mental institution, known as Overbrook. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many buildings were built that housed mental patients and other facilities, such as a power house, laundromat, and theater. During the 1940s and 1950s, the hospital's population peaked. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, new medicines were invented to help mental patients and the hospital's population decreased drastically. By the 1990s, the hospital had a very small population. There was no need for such a large facility anymore. In 2007, Essex County decided to make the lands of the hospital center a 90 acre county park instead of the originally planned construction of houses. Demolition of the old buildings are said to begin in spring.

New hospital

In late 2006, the new Essex County Hospital Center opened not too far from the old one. This hospital center houses the remaining mentally ill people and features high tech equipment and facilities. The new hospital is located at 204 Grove Avenue in Cedar Grove.

* [http://designedbreakdown.com/photo/essex_hospital/index.html .designedbreakdown.] Short history and photo gallery exhibiting present-day decay on the site.

* [http://shadowsandrust.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=46 Shadows and Rust] Recent photographs of the inside and outside of the site prior to demolishion.