In September of 2024, Zenning with Zay & I visited The Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital! I had previously explored this place during a sneaky sleepover but this time it was legal! It was awesome to wander the renovated areas, but I still preferred the abandoned areas!
In 1865, a bill was introduced by Senator Asher P. Nichols to establish additional mental health asylums in New York State, with one dedicated to serving the western region. This proposal was approved, and various towns in Western New York competed to host the facility. Buffalo was selected over locations such as Lockport, Batavia, and Warsaw, thanks to its promise of 100 years of free drinking water and its ideal rural setting near downtown, which suited the Kirkbride Plan for mental health treatment.
Designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson in 1870, the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane featured large Medina red sandstone and brick buildings, while the grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Construction began in 1871, and by November 15, 1880, the asylum admitted its first patients, though only the eastern wards were complete. The western wards were finished in 1895.
Following Richardson's death in 1886, architects Green and Wicks, along with William W. Carlin, completed the project, maintaining Richardson's architectural style. In 1890, the facility's name was changed to the Buffalo State Hospital, reflecting New York's new legislation making mental health treatment a state responsibility. Overcrowding soon became a problem, as the original design intended for around 600 patients was exceeded.
The hospital's decline began in the early 20th century. The iconic towers were re-covered in copper in 1918, and much of the land was sold to Buffalo State University in 1927. By the 1960s, several wards were demolished to make room for modern facilities. The last patients were moved out in 1974, and the property was left to deteriorate. Efforts to preserve the historic site began in 2006, when the Richardson Center Corporation took control and stabilized the structure.
We had hoped to stay in the renovated part of the Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital but sadly, we could not. There was however a wedding taking place there. Pretty cool, but not as cool as getting married in an Abandoned Prison!
You didn’t say anything during the video
Yes, because I was with a group so I had the history here!