Willard Tour: Brookside

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This post is part of a series. To see all the buildings I visited on the Willard Tour click the links below.

Brookside
Exterior of Brookside

The Brookside house served as the home to the medical directors at Willard. No detail was overlooked when building this house. The 11 bedroom house had 2 kitchens, stunning woodwork, intricate door hardware, and lovely unobstructed views of Seneca Lake beneath stained glass windows.

Brookside front entrance
The Front Entrance to Brookside
pocket doors
Ornate Hardware was throughout the house

Brookside Window Overlooking Lake

Brookside Bedroom
One of the Bedrooms
VHS Tapes Brookside
Old VHS tapes relating to Inmate control
Brookside Lounge
A recreational room in the basement

 

Brookside Kitchen
A kitchen I am going to be jealous of for as long as I live

But this stunning home whispers of secrets hidden in dark spots.  About half of the bedrooms were servants quarters. It was said patients at Willard were put to work if they were able. In 1883 it was reported that of the patients at Willard “801 willing and able to work; 261 were able but wouldn’t work in some cases because of delusions but usually because of laziness or stubborness. 714 who were unable to work because of physical and/or mental illness.” Yearly in reports it was emphasized the value of work to the patient, at the same time pointing out that patients’ work was of considerable value to the Institution”

~https://www.asylumprojects.org/Willard.pdf

Had patients been utilized as house servants at Brookside? I can’t find anything to support my theory that they probably were, but I am going to keep looking  🙂

 

Brookside Basement
Basement Utility Room with wood storage and clothesline

 

Brookside Attic
Attic

This post is part of a series. To see all the buildings I visited on the Willard Tour click the links below.

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2 Comments

    1. Not that I can remember George. I think the door was flung as wide open as it would go, pretty sure there wasn’t much space between the door and the wall.