Along the New England coast looms The Seaside Sanitorium. The building opened it's doors in 1934 to children suffering from tuberculosis with the idea that open air and gentle sea breezes would help the long term infection. The advent of medications to treat tuberculosis led to it's brief closing in 1959, but was quickly converted into a geriatric facility, followed by a residence for the mentally handicapped until it's final closure in 1996. The Seaside is a historically registered landmark, but given it's prime real estate, faces an uncertain fate.
The most notable feature of The Seaside Sanitorium is the "Rusty Fun Slide"; a centrally located metal spiral slide designed as a fire escape. The idea was to slide patients down on bedclothes to safety in event of a fire. The playgrounds sit unused and rusting alongside overgrown gardens. Paint peels and plaster crumbles, while moss carpets the floors in patches. Looking at the remaining children's decorations, one can almost hear the youths that inhabited The Seaside Sanitorium laughing, coughing, and eventually falling as silent as the structure itself.
The most notable feature of The Seaside Sanitorium is the "Rusty Fun Slide"; a centrally located metal spiral slide designed as a fire escape. The idea was to slide patients down on bedclothes to safety in event of a fire. The playgrounds sit unused and rusting alongside overgrown gardens. Paint peels and plaster crumbles, while moss carpets the floors in patches. Looking at the remaining children's decorations, one can almost hear the youths that inhabited The Seaside Sanitorium laughing, coughing, and eventually falling as silent as the structure itself.
Yes,landmark or no landmark,this is prime real estate and it will be redeveloped in some way.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!