Hillcrest Cemetery (Grafton S. H. Cemetery), Shrewsbury 2-2

From Hillcrest Cemetery, Shrewsbury 1-2

So, why is there an abandoned tower in the state hospital cemetery property? There is an interesting discussion about the original purpose of the tower speculating it was: a Civil War era watching tower, Irish tower commemorating Irish immigrants held in the hospital, water tower for the hospital, etc.

Hillcrest Cemetery (Grafton S. H. Cemetery), Shrewsbury 1-2

From Grafton State Hospital, Grafton

After visiting the former Grafton State Hospital, I dropped by Hillcrest Cemetery where approximately 1,041 male and female patients held at Grafton State Hospital are buried. Their identities are only distinguished by the numbers on austere concrete blocks.

There is always a mystery in Massachusetts woods. A state hospital on the hillside and its hidden graveyard are some of those mysteries. Even the residents would not imagine there is a graveyard in their backyard, but the local teenagers find it anyway; they seem to be strangely fascinated by those numbered gravestones.

Hillcrest Cemetery has one of those Massachusetts mysteries, but there is a further puzzlement that nobody knows for sure.

Time flies, season changes

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

It's been four months since Longtime No See post. Same location. Time flies, season changes.

Grafton State Hospital, Grafton

Grafton State Hospital was established in 1901 as a farm colony of Worcester State Hospital.  Worcester was the oldest state hospital opened in 1830, and their expansion reflected  a mandate passed in 1900 that state has the responsibility to take care of its indigent insane. A massive influx of patients from town and city level institutions was expected; prior to the mandate, a local poorhouse was the destination for the those who were less fortunate.

Crane Beach, Ipswich

Newton Almshouse, Newton

Toolhouse est.1938

When I published a post about Working Boys Home in Newton about a year ago, I was also fascinated by the "infirmary" just northwest of the Home. Was there any connection between the infirmary and the Home? Were they operated by the same organization? If so, did the parents (most likely unwed mothers) at the infirmary have to be separated from their children to Working Boys Home (and Working Girls Home) ?