CEDAR AVENUE CHURCH I, PHILA.

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Pt. 1 of 2

A renowned exploration spot that's on its way to the landfill, believe it or not. It wouldn't have taken much to get this church back in gear but from what I've heard, the pews are now piled up and on their way out of the building. Sad.

The church features a downstairs sanctuary, which is displayed here – hence the low ceilings. The final three pictures here were taken in a small room to the side of the sanctuary itself, which was being used as sleeping quarters for a homeless man that day. (ID# 07.05.09 Cedar Avenue Church)

ASYLUM & TRAINING SCHOOL II, MD

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Pt. 1 of 2

This second set from Rosewood features the gymnasium, front lobby area, some classic fire extinguisher graphics, bedding, paperwork and a wheel chair found amongst dozens of others in one large recreational room. For a detailed history on Rosewood, see Pt. 1. (ID# 07.03.09 Rosewood State Hospital)

ASYLUM & TRAINING SCHOOL I, MD

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Pt. 1 of 2

All photos included in this Rosewood Set were taken in one of the sites original buildings, dating as far back as 1888. Although in severe disrepair and condemned for demolition, the site offers up quite a bit as far as exploring and photography goes.

THE HISTORY (in brief):
1888-1912: Asylum and Training School for the Feeble Minded
1912-1961: Rosewood State Training School
1961-1969: Rosewood State Hospital
1969-closure: Rosewood Center

Rosewood Center was established as the “Asylum and Training School for the Feeble Minded” in 1888 on a 683-acre property near the Owings Mills area of Baltimore County. In 1912, its name was changed to the Rosewood State Training School and in 1961 it became the Rosewood State Hospital.

For most of the nineteenth century, feeble-minded, idiotic and alcoholic citizens often shared the fate of the insane, locked in local jails or almshouses. The Board of Directors for the Maryland Inebriate Asylum reported in 1864 that they were still without a building but some inebriated persons were being treated in a lunatic asylum (Maryland Documents A, 1865). In 1883, the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty petitioned the legislature on behalf of the feeble-minded, and, in 1888, the Asylum and Training School for the Feeble-Minded was authorized (Chapter 183, Acts of 1888). (ID# 07.03.09 Rosewood State Hospital)

TOME SCHOOL FOR BOYS III, MD

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Pt. 3 of 3

After Memorial Hall, everything else pales in comparison. However, we did walk through the former Director's Home, the Van Buren House and briefly in Monroe as well. The Director's house overlooks the Susquehanna River, which to the south joins up with the Chesapeake Bay, while the Van Buren building used to house the dining room and much, much more (all of which is featured in this post). Monroe was the sporting complex and it even featured an indoor pool, small theater, etc. – but all of that is now gone forever.

And, yes, that's the remains of a vulture – several of which can be found near Van Buren.

For more history, please go here and here. (ID# 06.21.09 Tome School for Boys)

TOME SCHOOL FOR BOYS II, MD

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Pt. 2 of 3

All images in this section were also taken in Memorial Hall. From the classrooms to the chapel to the projection room and staircases; Memorial is a photographer's dream. To see how the building looked over 100 years ago, and to see what a couple of these rooms looked like about 75 years ago, view (and read) the history in Pt. 1 of this series. (ID# 06.21.09 Tome School for Boys)

TOME SCHOOL FOR BOYS I, MD

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Pt. 1 of 3

This site has been on the mind of my friend Mark for quite a number of years now. And for two rooms alone, this exploration was worth the trip. The rooms I refer to are the main lobby and chapel of Memorial Hall, built 1901. Memorial Hall was where all classes for the school were held and it's a wonderful setting for photography. The building's magnificent structure is built of Port Deposit's own granite, something the town takes great pride in ("Enjoy Our Terraces And Granite" is their slogan). (ID# 06.21.09 Tome School for Boys)

THE HISTORY (in brief): The school ceased operations in 1941 after taking a heavy hit during the Great Depression. In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt set forth the creation of the Naval Training Facility At Bainbridge, adjacent to Tome's campus. This facility quickly built itself up, subsquently taking over the Tome School's buildings, only to shut down permanently in 1976. Four years later, the former Tome site was assigned to Job Corps by the government when it suffered through great stress, only to be handed over for good to the town of Port Deposit on February 14th, 2000.

The Tome School For Boys is an historic site that deserves preservation and respect from those who walk amongst its grounds. To read a fantastic account of the school's history from the curator of the town's historic museum, please go here.