Forest Haven Asylum

If You Weren't Disturbed Before, You Are Now

Laurel, Maryland2011

Forest Haven Asylum has a a long and sad history. The 20 or so buildings are spread over 250 acres, with the largest being the administration building shown here, along with one of the residences. Built in the early 1920s to house the mentally retarded from the District of Columbia, the majority of the facility was closed in 1991 following lawsuits over the abuse of the patients and has been left to decompose. The Washington Post wrote a series of articles revealing the extent of the abuse taking place at Forest Haven and other facilities. Unfortunately, a few patients still remain on the Forest Haven campus and little has been done to improve the lives of the mentally disabled elsewhere in the DC area.

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