Abandoned Norwich Hospital Looms over Vibrant Preston Waterfront

The Norwich Hospital, a haven for the psychiatrically unwell, sprawled across 900 acres in Norwich and Preston, Connecticut. Opened in October 1904 and deserted in October 1996, the hospital catered to geriatric and chemically dependent patients, among others. Its picturesque location along the Thames River began with a lone building on 100 acres, eventually expanding to house 30 buildings. In 1988, a 70-acre section, comprising the hospital itself, received recognition on the National Register of Historic Places.

After its abandonment in 1996, the hospital remains ghostly. In 2009, the Connecticut State transferred a 393-acre section to the town of Preston for a trivial $1, with a stipulation that the town clears the site before any development. By May 2016, a deal was struck between the town of Preston and the Mohegan Tribe, where the site would be transformed into the Preston Riverwalk, a non-gaming haven boasting outdoor and indoor attractions, retail space, eateries, housing, a marina, an RV Park, and more. The Mohegan Tribe aims to restore and preserve the Administration building as part of the project.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons