Day Trip: Pennhurst State School
Our first outing in a Covid-19 world took us to Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Most probably know it as Pennhurst Asylum, due to the haunted tours that are popular during Halloween. Growing up, I knew it as the place where brave and daring kids would sneak in at night and come to school to tell of their adventures.
I'll never forget one friend who spoke of how it was just abandoned - like people just up and left, leaving behind beds and desks, other furniture, and more!
And, indeed, the abandoned structures were truly just abandoned.
We signed up for a Photo Tour of Pennhurst. The tour wasn't a tour of the site, but provided access to two of the buildings deemed safe to go into and the grounds. We were allowed to go where the inspiration struck - from the darkest of dark basements to some of the rooms that have been restored by the preservation group working to save the property - with masks ON, of course!
I don't like scary things. And being in the basement of those buildings was scary at first. There wasn't any light. As we walked into the pitch black, the first thing we saw was a wheel chair in the hallway. I went down the hallway and my flashlight hit a wagon and my eyes saw a hospital bed that looked like - in my peripheral vision/imagination - that someone was in it. I had a nope, nope, nope, nope moment and went scurrying back to where my husband was taking photos.
It turns out there was something in the bed - a bunch of dolls, left over from the haunted house. After getting more comfortable in my surroundings I could tell what was staged. Creepy dolls - staged. Creepy chalk writing - staged. Writing in dust - staged.
In the end, I enjoying poking around and seeing what was around each corner!
I would be remiss to not mention that Pennhurst was founded as a school for "the feeble minded and epileptic" in 1908. It was in operation until 1987, when it closed as part of a court settlement that occurred in 1984. Its history is fascinating, and sad, and horrifying. What started out as a place on the forefront of "enlightened" care in the early 20th century, quickly turned to something quite different. Many people who live in the area remember when it was opened, remember the people who lived there, and even had family members who were there.
When you are there it's easy to get caught up in the "creepy factor," but important to remember that it was a school, with real children, real people, and real lives that were impacted.
Today, the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance is working to preserve the site. Why? Because "Memory is the critical language and terrain of human rights. Through preserving past evidence of neglect, we make it real, we make it present, and we make it public. The place that bears the mark of the painful past becomes a powerful catalyst for awareness, action, relevance, inspiration, and investment in multiple senses."
Indeed, today Pennhurst is an International Site of Conscience. It explores how a "place of pain can become place of healing, reconciliation, and insight."
I would encourage everyone to visit the organization's website to learn more.
Shot on a Sony A7iii, 24-105mm, f/4.0
Shooting: Tripod Work, plus some self portraiture using Imagining Edge Sony app
Practicing: shooting in low lighting + editorial + editing style
