Fairfield Hills Hospital, also called Fairfield State Hospital, is an abandoned former psychiatric hospital in Newtown, Connecticut. Fairfield hospital operated for 64 years before it closed its doors permanently in 1995. It has been abandoned ever since.

Rise of an era

Fairfield state hospital groundbreaking was initiated in 1931 to help reduce overcrowding at a neighboring psychiatric center. The same year it received its first patients from Connecticut Valley Hospital. In the hospital’s initial years, it was made up of less than 5 main buildings that hosted 3 doors, 500 patients, and other support staff.

Major construction was done between the 1940s and 1950 after the building began its operation, raising the population to 4000 patients by the 1960s. Patients were taken care of by 20 doctors together with more than 500 nurses and support staff. The campus-like state hospital had a good run for over 50 years but closed its doors for patients permanently in the early 1990s.

Final days of Fairfield state hospital

Fairfield Hills Hospital was unlucky to be one of the institutions that were declared unproductive leading to deinstitutionalization in 1967. Though it still operated after the decommission, patients were no longer referred to the hospital which led to its death and closure in 1995. The hospital operated for a total of 64 years. It attended to over one hundred thousand patients, hosting 4000 of them at a time. Fairfield Hills Hospital was one of the reputable psychiatric centers in the town of Newtown and the State of Connecticut.  After its abandonment, Newtown town rented out the campus to several organizations and schools. The Reeds Academy and Newtown community hall were some of the organizations that were located on the campus.

Fairfield hospital today

Different organizations have taken advantage of the extensive campus turning most of the buildings into a business center and offices. This still has left several buildings unoccupied and unmaintained. Newton purchased the property from the state government and has renovated one of the halls as their Municipality office. A new Fairfield Hills Authority plans to erect new buildings with the aim of turning the campus into a residential, cultural and recreational center. 

All the offices, schools, and commercial facilities are open to the general public. The rest of the buildings are closed with “No trespassing” signs discouraging trespassers. Due to the fireproof materials used during its establishment, the building has not recorded any incident of fire. There are presences of asbestos in the buildings which can turn hazardous when inhaled. In a nutshell, the historic psychiatric hospital located in Newtown offers a good scenic view of how old 1900s buildings were well designed and suited for their functions.