Our math was a little off on that memorial. Probably more like 1,000 names on there.

Amazing how cruel people can be to the ones who are unable to fend for themselves. So so sad!

It's so heartbreaking to see grave markers with just a number on it or in some cases in other cases just a date of death. No matter the mental capacity of these people, they were still human beings.. Yet they were buried in my opinion without any dignity of personal identification.

This begs the question, did we go to the other extreme? So many of our mentally ill seem to be homeless, living on the streets, or incarcerated. Not spending much more on helping them today, in my humble opinion!

I am going to give a very unpopular truth here. Forty years ago, I worked in one of the few private facilities that were available once these institutions closed. Back in the 1920s, even through the 1970s, there were polite societies where one simply did not have less than perfect children. Doctors encouraged mothers to leave children behind and not look back. Children were left behind for a deformed hand, a cleft, palate, dwarfism and a million other non intellectual issues. Even America's first family warehoused a child. Once a lobotomy did not restore Joe Kennedy's daughter Rosemary to normalcy, she was never pubically again mentioned. And those are only the young. These institutions held nightmares and secrets for decades, and filth, nudity, and being understaffed are just noise so folks don't look any deeper

I would like to say a few words. Not all mental hospitals were like this in the 70s. My friends mother was a charge nurse in a large hospital. My friend and I decided to volunteer as candy stripers age 14. We witnessed those nurses treating every child and adult with patience and care. We couldn’t handle the environment as young kids. We quit. Loud, upsetting and children who scared us. Those wise and loving nurses could handle it. I met them again at my friends mothers funeral. Still calm and angelic women. Bless them ❤️👍

So sad and so horrific, I can't even imagine what these poor people had to endure. SMH

The sad thing is, somewhere in our world today these places still exist..

Very heart breaking to see how children lived, if you can call that "living". Thanks Chris and Jay!

Darn I wish I knew you were going to be there! I’ve been exploring there for many years. I even did my college photography final on Letchworth. I could have been your tour guide, haha. The first time I went to the morgue, almost everything was still there- the freezer doors, the tables, instruments, patient files, etc. but so many kids have come through and taken stuff, it’s practically down to its bare bones at this point. Thank you for shining light on it.

Always fascinating,yet very sad to see these old asylums😿💔

Easy to condemn the institution. But the real blame goes to the families knowingly putting their family members into these places. Was a easy way out for the family that couldn’t or wouldn’t put up with a mentally I’ll child. Sad. I’ll bet 70% of families that did put their handicap children in these places never came back to check on them.

When i see videos of asylums i immediately think of those poor Souls by themselves, abandoned and abused. RIP

Heartbreaking 😢 those poor souls! May they rest in peace in the arms of God.

You can feel the sadness through the screen 😢 how could a parent just abandon them.

Visited this place like 7 years ago. Crazy true story attached to it. It’s sad how many places around America were like this but that’s how it was back then.

Chris, both you and Jay need to commended for your reporting and compassion whilst processing your own personal feelings about the horror and tragic story of this place. Thank You!

Oh, those original pictures and the video from Geraldo! How awful it would have been there as both one of those institutionalized or a staff member. So many graves with nothing but a number. Very, very sad. Thank you for documenting this old asylum. It's just one of many all over the world back in those days.

As a parent of, 2 adult children with physical and mental disabilities in their mid 30's, I want to thank you for doing this explore showing respect and dignity to these individuals. So many, make remarks that are rude and degrading to the people that lived here. Geraldo's report was the beginning of the end for facilities like this. Home and Community Based Services began to assist us parents with keeping our loved ones at home. Modern medicine is not what turned it around for individuals with special needs but for those with mental illness. They are two different categories not to be compiled together. Home and Community Based Services is what reduced the numbers in those being placed in these institutions.

Very sad. Unfortunately, many people today are just left on the street with no care at all.

Hard to believe this place was open in the 90s. That's not that long ago. So so sad. Great job on the video though. Oh, and thanks for making me cry. (I did cry, but I needed to see this. Thank you for real).

Terrible conditions for the disabled and mental patients to live in and also staff having to work in this environment day and night knowing that it was not going to get better either. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for showing us Chris! It's crazy that this place was still in operation in the 90's.

Wow this is incredible interesting but so sad. Thank you for the video.

I find it hard to understand how conditions could have been allowed to get so totally out of control here, Chris, but we are talking about New York and also the mental heath situation nationwide has been a shambles for decades. Than you for showing us the revolting travesty. God Bless and stay safe.

The issue was not the sanitarium themselves. It has everything to do with money and the privatization of Healthcare. To this day there are mentally unwell patients dropped off at your local hospital where they stay for months and months because their families don't have the money or the parents aren't fit enough themselves to go through processes that could get the patients into private facilities. I have heard of patients being refused by 40 facilities and in the meantime they are attacking staff and taking time and manpower to manage wial staying at a small local hospital not intended or equipped to deal with these situations. Not uncommon for a 20 something yr old female nurse or cna to be expected to deal with a mentally unwell male or multiples and regularly being attacked and hit. Large institutions like this certainly had/have their place if run in a ethical manner. Just my opinion.

That's a very stylish approach to include the inverview audio on top of your own footage. It really adds a haunting layer to all of what was.

Awesome editing as well as the video and the history.

The minute I see some old footage that goes with the story I’m sold

This is very well done. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of what life was like for the patients.

You're videos are so well done. Your notifications always make me happy. Even on such a sad subject. Thank you for this type of documentaries. If we forget the past then we are likely to repeat it.

Thanks for sharing. The whole thing was absolutely horrible and a disgrace . Govt still doing the same things cutting things to benefit themselves.

Well done Chris and Jay. So sad the way people were treated when people just didn’t understand mental health. So sad for the employees that tried their best with what little they had.

I'm no Geraldo fan, but the work he did on this report I truly admire him for.

Been watching you since you had like 200 subs and i hadnt doscovered Lamont yet. Keep at it man. The entertainment, video quality and the accuracy of information is commendable and has only gotten better, and better. Thanks Chris for another great video.

This is the way to help the suffering kids ....and adults. Show them up.!!.. Theres so much stuff we dont know. Thank you a million times.

Very well done. The news clips worked great, and your attention to detail is impeccable. Sad one to watch.

is it bad to say that I think we need more people in institutions like this? obviously better conditions…I’m a nurse, and it is impossible to get patients committed, even when they really need to be. Our current mental health crisis is insane rn. we need better facilities, that are easy for all the have access to, in order to receive the care they desperately need😅 what are everybody else’s thoughts

So sad. But thanks for doing the video. So these people are not forgotten. Great job both of you.❤

This place is so sad and humiliating towards those poor children and adults that was there over those years. You can see by the size of them, that a lot was not fed enough food, as their showing bones. sure it didnt look as bad inside as it does today in its abandonment, but it was no pleasure place either. I truly hope there are no more places this bad in todays society

This story reminds me of Byberry State Hospital, in Philly. Absolutely horrible living and working conditions for those involved.

Thanks for sharing this tough story.

So hard to fathom how a place that was imagined and realized in the spirit of human kindness and good will could devolve into a proverbial house of horrors, and ultimately the sad decay that is left today. Perhaps even sadder is how common this is in our society.

There are still places like this but way nicer. Some are slowly being phased out. I had two relatives that were in institutions. It is more common than you think.

Such a sad history 😢all those helpless souls.❤would love to explore here kinda has a beautiful feeling now with nature taking over .🌱🌿

Explored this over 20 times, It never gets old, it's a favorite place for me. The amount of sadness I feel everything I step foot into that place. I've done so much paranormal there and the amount of activity and energy is unbelievable. If you ever get time, head over to the Letchworth cemetery it's incredible. The cops at Letchworth are chill as shit and they never bothered us once! On my first trip here, I was greeted by a loud bang in one of the buildings, that building still haunts me to this day, I can't step foot in it! Oh yea, Great video! There is another great building back by the school/highway area it's the Morge where children were taken, amazing!

For years I was Residence Manager for Group homes for the developmentally disabled. After Heraldo’s expose, these places began to treat these individuals so much better and deinstitutionalized these people so they could live in homes in the community. Now over 50 years later they are living in 4,5, or 6 bed homes, go to work or day hab programs, go to a huge variety of recreational activities every nite and on the weekends, have decent clothes and decent and nutritious food, have spending money, go on beautiful vacations etc. This is what they should have had all along. My most cherished memories are the hugs I would get everyday. Also myself and 3 staff took 10 individuals to Orlando to Disneyworld/Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom and MGM studios for a week’s vacation. We stayed in a huge house with a screened in pool and jacuzzi. It was probably my most memorable trip in my life, to see the looks of amazement and wonder on their faces. For years afterward, I would occasionally see these individuals and that’s all they could talk about! I could keep writing of my 25+ yrs in the field of Special Education, maybe one day I’ll write a book of all my experiences! PS- I had a young woman who came from Willowbrook and many from Letchworth Village. They were permanently scarred from their years of abuse. I hope I was able to have made a more positive impact on their lives. The hilarious stories I could tell you! And a shout out to all the hard working underpaid staff- thank you for your love and dedication to these individuals. ❤❤

Very well done, voice over/cut scenes was special touch...Thank you much. Keep safe and all🎉

I believe you knocked it out of the park with this one. Wow! I'm pretty shocking. Thanks for sharing😢

Thanks so much for the video. I lived not too far from there and used to go there and explore at night in various buildings with my friends about 20 years ago. It looks much better in the daytime thanks.

Great explore! Thanks for bringing us along!!

One of the few things Geraldo did to actually help people.

Great video, I can see you work on the thumbnail! It's also great that you're reminding people of the history they wish they can forget. It makes me wonder if some schools in the USA are making a similar mistake.

Thank you, Chris!❤

So sad and painful, great video!

It took 20 years to close the place down after Geraldo reported on it. 🥺😩

Great channel ,appreciate what you’re doing 👍

Another great video, but so sad for the children and the workers.

I will never understand why people think painting their names in eligible bubble letters on other people's property is cool. Who's just walking around with a can of paint on them lol. Great video!!

I was hiking the Long Path in Harriman today and came upon the memorial. It’s very sad indeed. We drove by the abandoned village and then I found your video. Dark history for sure. Thank you.

Too sad. You must feel it when you’re there. Poor souls 🙏🏻

I watched some documentaries about mental institutions and some of them do start with noble and good intentions to genuinely help the people, but unfortunately underfunding and\or overcrowding happens, then abuse or neglect happens. Very sad that the outcome is the closing down of some of these places. Very good video btw. Just stumbled upon it and now I'm glad that I did!! Gonna subscribe right away!

I remember seeing the Geraldo Rivera story on Willowbrook from 1971-72

I've seen this place before on an investigation charm city paranormal did. It's got a lot of tormented souls left behind. Did you encounter anything Chris?

Letchworth Village was featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures in 2011.

Well done Chris, and Jay, perhaps one of your best yet, revealing tragic Americana of the past. They were all once someone's child, and now children of God. Thanks for this.

This whole video is chilling, I can feel it I don't know if you can understand that it feels sad feels cold you can still hear the voices in the graveyard and in the hallways. I think you did an awesome job with this video thank you very well then

I can't even watch this. 😡 It angers me and hurts my soul to know these precious children were mistreated, unwanted, abused and tortured. My first job was working with disabled adults who came from institutions such as this and i formed loving bonds with so many. I became a psych RN, because i wanted to care for the "misfits" of society. I consider it a blessing.

The Marlboro psychic hospital when it was opened had a cemetery across the street was exactly the same. Just graves with numbers. So sad! They also had a memorial built that added the names of some of the individuals.

You really do fine documentaries.

Really great video. So interesting. ❤

Sad history there but looks like an awesome place to explore

Great 👍 VIDEO . Always looking forward to watching your KZfaq videos

Thank you another fantastic, informative video.

Thank you for a sympathetic educational explore.

It makes me sad to hear these stories. I’m only here because I find psychology and the paranormal interesting. My hearts go out to my fellow autistic people who suffered in insane asylums. May they rest in peace.

Very sad story truly. Thank you for this documentary . Didn’t know about this place

Just found your channel. Loving the content. Respect from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A big part of our history. Thanks for covering. 18:16 JFK pushed to close many of these places, but true funding for home and outpatient care was never approved. The home and outpatient supports were part of the care plan.

Awesome video keep it up!

This is the image of "institution" that is seared in the collective memory of this country, which is why we have so many people on the streets who cannot care for themselves. The country/states will not open/run facilities to house/help them because of laws, policies, and stigma. So we leave them on the streets to live the same way, only without food and shelter. There have been and are legit institutions (in-patient residences) where people do get the help they need when their families don't have the ability or means to do it themselves. I'm sure a majority of people who were institutionalize back in the day were put there because there was no other way to care for them, and it was the best known way to "help" them. Pressured by society and the doctors, many mothers turned over their children to the state to "help" them, with visitation being limited because of the false belief it would make the patient's "progress" fall back. We can't judge the ways of 1911 with 2023 knowledge. Yes, the conditions deteriorated and were horrible, and many people shouldn't ever have been put there, like women with post-partum depression or someone with mild disabilities, but what do we do today with our elders ... and how many people visit them? We warehouse them in much the same way, with conditions in many of those places being less than ideal. Things will change when families are intact and step up to the best of their abilities, even if it's just regular visits and caring. - Great job on the video! Thanks for the visit! - Muddypaw 🐾

Exceptional coverage.

Great video !

I remember watching this in the 50 year anniversary of this asylum the reporter name was Geraldo Rivera cover this report with a employee who worked there. One of the patience of the asylum became friends with him the stories of these victims made me sad but glad it was shut down for good

Thank u for sharing. I wouldn’t see it otherwise.

Excellent documentary!. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Chris, I really wish you would wear rubber gloves to protect your hands when you handle stuff like you and the young man with you was doing with that rusty tin toy. You don't want to take the chance of picking up something like germs, bacteria, and etc... just please be safe 🙏

i lived in Haverstraw NY from91 to 08 thanks for the info looking for more on this subject

Dude, I've been following your videos for a while now, and I think that this is probably the most disturbing one you have done.

Powerful vid Chris the markers wiith just a number how sad

I just subscribed,I love the videos that you make

I grew up VERY NEAR Letchworth Village Developmental Center. it took 5 or 6 minutes to get to it from our house. There was 7 children in our family and all but one worked in Letchworth for some period of time in the late 1970's. We used to walk down to that cemetery all the time. Some of us have worked with the 'developmentally disabled' for many years. FIRST of all: there were good people that worked there and there were the f-wads who were there for the PAYCHECK.

This video was a real eye opener, but also felt like a slap in the face, awakening me to the CRUEL Reality of years gone by, that I never knew existed in such a way as to treat human beings like Garbage!!! It literally brought tears to my eyes!!! Thank you young men for posting this, it Needed to be brought to people's attention!!!

Creepy that the bear pencil box says " let's make it bearable ". So sad.

Well done video.

My cousin died in a psychiatric hospital in England it was called Bexley mental hospital. Years later i found out i have several mental illnesses myself. I was sectioned under the mental health. Its called a form 1. It brought the trauma out even more for me. Thank you for postihg this video you are a very sensitive and caring person. Still after all these years there is still a stigma against mental health. I have subscribed to your channel. God bless you ❤

I have found mountains of paperwork in this place with staff members literally pleading for more help funding and food. Every single one of them was denied😢 I won't get into what else was found while going through days of paperwork

I grew up in Rockland County, I remember going to the Letchworth property once buildings were being repurposed for other organizations like Cornell cooperative extension and 4H. I couldn't (and still can't) stand being near the place with the heaviness and sheer despair you can still feel there.

Every time you explore the darkside it’s fascinating

Was there any way a family could get their loved one out of this facility when it was active? If so what was required of the family to have their loved one returned?