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Henryton State Hospital in Marriottsville, Maryland
Henryton State Hospital is a now-closed hospital complex in Marriottsville. It was established as a facility to treat African Americans suffering from tuberculosis. This was one of the first such facilities in Maryland erected to provide African Americans with the same level of treatment as whites.
The original complex opened in 1922. In the 1930’s and 40’s more buildings were added to the complex as there were more and more tubercular patients but soon after that the tuberculosis rates dropped. In 1963 the Department of Health decided to stop operating tuberculosis and begin with treating severely and profoundly retarded ambulatory (Maryland) residents ages eighteen and over. Contrary to popular belief, those were not the criminally insane. But those also dropped in the 1980’s. The entire complex was closed in 1985.
After its closing the Henryton State Hospital complex has been many times the victim of vandalism and arson, even though trespassing is forbidden on the property. The state of Maryland spends a large amount of money to maintain the property minimally and occasionally patrol, and it is an expense that the state seems eager to be rid of.
Submitted by and photograph taken by sunmakesflowers
