Abbie Lathrop
                    The Land and Buildings of the Northampton State Hospital: 
What Is To Be Done With Them?
         The buildings of the Northampton State Hospital are in considerable disrepair. Many have been so neglected that they are in danger of collapse. There seems to be little intent to try to keep the hospital buildings in any decent kind of shape, for any kind of use, except for the purpose of historical preservation by societies such as Historic Northampton. In my opinion, the hospital land should be left undeveloped and left as open space.
          First, I think that most of the hospital buildings should be removed and a museum created in the remaining few. At this point in time, preserving all of the crumbling hospital buildings would cost too much money and be too much trouble. Most of the buildings would need reinforcements, and some would probably need extensive restructuring. However, I would like to see at least a few of the buildings, in particular the Old Main building, restored and open to the public as a museum. The Northampton State Hospital has a rich history, and I believe it should be preserved. One advantage in creating a museum would be a reward in the creation of jobs, a trait that society counts as extremely valuable. Restructuring some of the buildings and creating and maintaining a museum would require the employment of a fairly large number of people. I believe this to be an acceptable denouement because it would provide jobs for citizens of Northampton, which is considered a goal in developing the land.
          Secondly, if the powers that be are unwilling to restructure a few of the hospital buildings to make them safe, I would like to see ninety percent of the hospital grounds turned into a state reservation or state park. I think conservation of undeveloped areas is extremely important in today's concrete jungle. All over the world, forests are being sold to loggers, and concrete foundations are being poured over grasslands. The deforestation process is considered a necessary and important practice for the prevention of overcrowding, especially in America. Deforestation plays a role in advancing the process of global warming, and too little is being done in the way of conservation. Likewise, proposals for what to do with the Northampton Hospital grounds favor the use of the land
for the creation of jobs to preserving it. And there is much to preserve.
           The hospital grounds are currently going back to nature. The lands are growing increasingly dominated by plant life with nobody to mow the lawns and trim the shrubbery. I would not object to having a certain amount of foliage cut back to make part of the reservation a place for organized recreation. The fountain, the picnic areas, and the outdoor basketball court could all be restored for use. However, I believe that in the spirit of creating a reservation, almost all of the land should be left unmowed. Part of the beauty of a reservation is in its very wildness; too much care and upkeep ruins the undeveloped theme. State reservations are fabulous sites for exploration and enjoyment of nature, and setting up a reservation or state park does not require the funds that development does.
Perhaps unfortunately, there is not a payoff in job creation, either. Reservations and parks do not require large staffs.
          Third, I think Smith College should purchase a few acres of the land. The hospital property touches upon the border of Smith College. If the college is looking for a place to put a building of engineering, there could be no better space. Hopefully there would also be enough space to construct a parking garage for students, I realize that this idea is in conflict with my main opinion that the land should remain undeveloped, but I believe that institutions of higher learning need a certain amount of room in which to grow in ways that towns and cities do not. And should Smith College construct a Department of Engineering, many citizens of Northampton would be involved in the building of the
department, and in the instruction of the students within it--in other words, jobs would be created.
          On Tuesday, November 3, 1998, citizens in New Jersey will vote upon whether or not the state should begin to purchase land to keep as open space. If the measure is passed, the state of New Jersey will have to raise the funds with which to buy the land. Many people who do believe that certain areas should be set aside as wilderness balk at supporting this measure because it will require a great deal of their tax money to purchase the land. The city of Northampton, on the other hand, has a wonderful opportunity in the hospital grounds. Little money would be necessary to make the land into a reservation, and twenty years down the line, Northampton would not have to face the question that New Jersey voters now are.
          In conclusion, I want the land left primarily undeveloped. I do not wish to see it split into parcels, with portions for commercial and residential areas. However, there is enough space to accommodate different ideas about what should be done with the land. The grounds with hospital buildings immediately on them could make a museum, and Smith could buy part of the land with enough left over for a large reservation. And I do not doubt that a few parcels of land will be dedicated to the preservation of the historic buildings or of nature. However, I regretfully expect that a fair amount of the hospital grounds will be paved over and built upon. America at large seems to know no other way.