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*October 14, 2001-A
Little Trip
I went back to the Hospital after about 4 years along with my boyfriend Scott and friend Jessica. There
are many rumors of what the hospital was. One was that is was for the criminally insane, which is false, do to the fact
that criminally insane convicts are sent to regular mental hospitals. Another is that it shut down in the 1940's from
a Tuberculosis or Consumption outbreak. Everything was left due to the disease. Another is that it was a hospital
for TB patients. Yet another is that it caught fire. The only thing we know for fact is that it is abandoned and
was a hospital.
As we approached we noticed a small police station in front of the main hospital. Jessica said that
a back road leads to the hospitals crematorium. We drove around back (hidden from the police station) and walked past
an old guard house which was vandalized and broken street lamps. The crematorium turned out to be the boiler room and
laundry. The boiler room was unable to enter due to no available door. But there were many windows. The
other end of the building we partially enterable. But the building was partly overgrown with vines that made it hard
to enter and explore. From what we did see, this part of the building was a laundry. Every laundry press, washer,
and scale were left. The basement was flooded about 4 feet, the stairs being metal were rusted, so should not be used
under any circumstances. Next we entered the Shipping and Receiving room. The building was absolutely a mess!
Tables were turned over and there was debris everywhere. Police tape was on the floor in most of the rooms.
Most likely to scare off people. There was a packet of paint chips dated 1964 and some newspapers from the 1980's.
We saw a board that had a list of all the building in the Hospital property, but no map or hint of which building they were.
So it will be up to us to find that out. In front of the building was a gas pump from the 1960's. Which means
the rumors of the hospital shutting down in the 1940's is false.
*October 16, 2001-The Library Dislikes
Me
Scott and I went to the Enoch Pratt library in Baltimore today. We searched the Maryland
room for any reference to the hospital. We did find a phone number on Microfiche for a 'Glen Dale Hospital' listed in
the yellow pages in 1984. (577-6000) We don't know if this is the hospital we are researching due to not knowing
yet the exact name. The only lead we had was a government document of the Maryland Register of Hospitals-1953.
pgs. 9-10. The library was not able to find the register due to it being cataloged under their old system. Call
number FS2 .22 Ind. & Sci. We were sent to the business section to see if it was placed there and still no luck.
On the bright side Scott found a map and discovered that the Prince Georges County Historical Society is two blocks away from
the hospital property. We hope to have some insight from them on what exactly happened.
*November 5, 2001-THE TRUE STORY
I've slacked off so much recently and keep meaning to post the most current findings.
So very late, here they are.
The hospital was opened in 1934 as a Tuberculosis hospital for patients in the area.
There are two main hospital buildings on the site, the largest being for Adults and the smaller for children. The children's
hospital is located on the side of land (Glenn Dale Road cuts the property in half) where the water tower and Laundry house
sits. After TB outbreaks slowed the hospital was used as a hospice. The rumors that the hospital shut down due
to TB are now proven false. Glenn Dale was shut down in 1984 due to asbestos in the walls and ceilings. The majority
of the equipment was left in the hospital. The equipment used was outdated and was not worth the cost of removing or
selling.
The laundry house still contains all equipment. A large generator sits in the middle,
and laundry scales, presses, and drier are spaced about. Large military shipping crates litter the floor, and small
rooms. We hope to find more about those.
The main hospital (Adult hospital) is amazing. It is about the size of The White House.
We entered through the basement via a broken window and worked our way about. The basement contains the morgue, kitchen,
and much storage space. The morgue is vandalized and the floor is covered in filth. Some of the body slabs and
rollers are pulled out and thrown on the floor. Two deep sinks sit on the back wall, and an empty paper towel holder
is above it. There is also a waste disposal hole in the floor.
The kitchens are bare except for the refrigerators. You can see the imprint on the
walls where the ovens used to be. Sinks and cabinets are still in place. Not a very interesting room, except it
is next to the morgue, separated by a boiler room.
The first floor is mainly patient rooms and the main entrance at the center. The elevator
is rested on the second floor. The generator for the elevator is also on the second floor. The second floor holds
the dispensary. Of course all the medication is gone, but the cupboards are overwhelming. Each floor contains
at least 5 large bathrooms, including toilets, bedpan disposals, showers, sinks, and tubs. The equipment to lift the
patient in and out of the tubs are still there. Every few patient rooms have a small shared bathroom, the size of a
closet, with a toilet and sink. The third floor holds the auditorium which was obviously once beautiful. Plaster
motifs decorate the walls, and large windows provide wonderful lighting. The floor tiles have pulled from their base,
and moss covers the floor making a nice green carpet. The stage is a classic large round one with the projection screen
still attached. The back of the auditorium has two little enclosed booths and the two projection windows. All
chairs are gone. The auditorium is also directly above the morgue. Directly overhead on the fourth floor is the
projection booth. The rusty projector is knocked over but still there. The strings that are used to pull the window
covers are still usable. On each floor there are at two isolation rooms, including locks, and viewing window on the
doors. On the fifth floor we found a dead hawk laying on his back in one room. Feathers were along the hallway
floor leading to the room, and the skull was spray painted red and you could see the dried insides.
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December 1, 2001-The Children's Hospital and The Historical
Society
Once again, I fail to type the findings, as they are discovered. This time we explored
the Children's hospital on the opposite side of the grounds from the main hospital. It is much harder to have quick
access to this building, but is by all means worth it. The Children's Hospital was the first hospital on the grounds
that opened in 1934. There are only 3 floors and a basement, but the building has more equipment intact, and is not
vandalized nearly as bad as the Adult Hospital.
Starting at the basement, there are many generators in fenced in area almost like cages.
The beds and gurneys are all in one room in the basement, which is also home to two dead rats floating in the water of a drainage
hole. The rest of the basement is a rusted mess and pipe tunnels. These tunnels go across the building to each
end, with pipes, these may be the tunnels people speak of, but there is no sign of them connecting to other buildings as I
have seen as yet. There is a large metal door at one point with many latches and locks, when opened the floor appears
to be in front of you, but it is actually stagnate water. There is a railing from the door which implies that it does
go a ways down, so watch where you walk. The morgue is very small and only has 3 compartments for the bodies, also someone
dragged an oven into the room as a joke. The kitchen is also empty, except for pipes and chairs.
The first floor has the same entrance and check in counters as the Adult hospital.
In some rooms, children's books and some toys are completely covering the floors. The classrooms are also covered in
books, but these are math and history books. There are also rooms with scattered notes, career aptitude tests, and such
on the floor. Desks have been removed, but there are some bottles of ink and correction fluid. There are even
children's building blocks, and some bulletin boards intact.
On the second floor we found two X-Ray machines in small rooms, and
patient rooms. There are also 4 separate rooms with small stages. The projection
booth in this building is intact and standing. Due to how hard it is to get into this building without being noticed,
there is barely any vandalism and less smashed items.
The third floor is mainly patient rooms and bathrooms same as in the Adult hospital.
This building is considerably smaller than the Adult hospital, but is my personal favorite. On the roof there are many
open air gazebos and play areas. These would have been used for Consumptive treatment. The three ways of treating
TB during this time was bed-rest, fresh air, and a strict diet.
There is a large amount of asbestos in this building, so you much be careful. We've
started to wear face masks, but even that isn't enough protection. We found many Christmas ornaments scattered about
the building, and even crates full of decorations, such as garlands, lights, and balls.
Today Scott and I visited the Prince Georges Historical Society and photocopies a large
amount of documents, including grounds maps, and Maryland Historical Preservation slips. I will post these soon.
March 12, 2003-Complete Sloth
I cannot believe that I haven't done anything to this site since 2001. I've gone back
to the hospital many more times and continued my research, then forgot a bit about it. Exploration of other abandoned
buildings has filled my time and mind, and poor little Glenn Dale is alone again. Scott and Jessica are no longer my
hunting team, as I have fallen out with them. (So many bitter things I could say right now.....) I now examine by myself
or with my boyfriend Daniel.
Truth is, I doubt that I will add much more to this site, as all that needs explaining is
done, unless Prince Georges County decides to do something with the hospital. At this point the hospital is so badly
vandalized and deteriorating that I doubt that it will be along much longer. Every time I go, more rooms are flooded,
ceilings caved in, and vandalism overpowering, it makes me ill. People have had their fun exploring, and doing research
to satisfy their boredom, maybe it is time to just say goodbye. Please if you do enter the hospital, respect the buildings,
and the lives that it changed.
June 11, 2003-News or Not
I still haven't been able to dig up the truth on the rumor of Glenn Dale being torn down.
I recieved a message from a woman whose husband works for the state of Maryland. He learned of plans to turn the site into
houses in the next year. Also, that a company has been hired to take care of the asbestos removal. I have no clue if this
is true or not, but when I do find out I'll post.
February 16, 2005- Recent
News
Here is a recent news article on the proposed demolition of the Hospital buildings.
Recent News
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