Essex County Hospital
In 1896, Essex county officials designated 325 acres of land as the new location of the Essex County Hospital for the Insane. Located in what was then Verona and is now Cedar Grove, The site was selected due to its remote, high altitude location, which, it was believed, could provide a healthy, peaceful setting for patients to rehabilitate in. The complex came to be known as Overbrook, due to its location just beyond the Peckman River.
In the winter of 1917, the hospital reported a boiler failure. Twenty people died, some from freezing to death, thirty two others suffered from frostbite. During the Great Depression Overbrook, became overcrowded with the hungry, homeless, and destitute. World War II food rations led to dismal living conditions and near starvation. At the end of WWII many veterans returned with shell shock or post traumatic stress disorder. Hospital staff could not cope with overpopulation and patient care suffered. There were escape attempts, violence among residents, starvation, neglect, abuse, and suicides. Many patients were subjected to barbaric treatments such as hydrotherapy, prefrontal lobotomy, and diathermy. It's estimated over ten thousand patients died at Essex County Mental Hospital.
Due to the use of new medicines, the patient population decreased during the 1960's and 1970's. In 2007, Essex County Mental Hospital closed for good. The grounds were turned in to a 90-acre county park. At the south end of the site, several buildings were demolished about a year later.
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Essex County HospitalEssex County Hospital Ghosts
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