Seven to Save Spotlight: Willard State Hospital
Willard State Hospital is one of this year’s Seven to Save. Situated on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes village of Romulus, Willard State has been a key part of the community since it first opened as a psychiatric hospital in the late 1800s. It began a second life as a correctional facility in 1995, but the complex has just recently been completely abandoned. The League is eager to work with local stakeholders to stabilize the buildings and grounds and explore potential new uses for this sprawling historic complex.
Threat: Demolition; Deterioration; Development Pressure; Lack of Public Awareness; Loss of Visual/Architectural Integrity; Vacancy
An aerial view of the Willard State Hospital complex looking east, with Seneca Lake seen at the bottom of the frame. Credit: Craig Williams
“The historic buildings and grounds of Willard are an opportunity to better understand far more than our rural local history,” said Margaret Ellsworth, President of the Romulus Historical Society Board of Trustees. “They are tangible reminders of social themes such as mental health that are universal. The Asylum came here with the appreciation of its beautiful location on the shores of Seneca Lake. That same magnificent location now offers the opportunity to repurpose these buildings and their history in a direction that will benefit our local economy and create a new destination in the Finger Lakes.”
Willard State Hospital has defined the physical landscape and cultural environment of its rural corner of the Finger Lakes region for nearly 175 years. The hospital complex was the largest of its kind in the 1870s, with dozens of buildings, open space, and working farms. Once comprising over 1,000 acres, its current size is about 400 acres including a mile of Seneca Lake shoreline and an institutional cemetery containing approximately 6,000 burials. Despite the loss of several architecturally important buildings, about 70 buildings still stand today. Exhibits and other public programs on the Willard suitcases have documented the personal possessions of some 400 former Willard patients and have brought international attention to this historic site.
The Jackson building on the Willard State Hospital grounds, circa 1887 (left) and 2022 (right). Credit: Craig Williams
After the hospital closed in 1995, the facility was repurposed by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), who refurbished several historic buildings while allowing others to fall into a state of disrepair. In November 2021, DOCCS announced that it would be closing its Willard State facility and vacating all buildings in March of 2022, with ownership remaining with the Empire State Development Corporation. The sudden announcement included no plans to secure the buildings for future use. Basic maintenance, including heat and water service, must be addressed to avoid costly and irreparable damage.
State hospital complexes like this one pose a particular set of challenges and can be seen mirrored at similar locations across the state. Considering the future of Willard now is vital to preserving an important part of New York State history before long-term vacancy causes the remaining buildings to deteriorate past the point of no return.