Veterans Medical Center, MD

 

A small group of us went to a Maryland hospital in the hope of meeting the guard who maintains it and asking him for a tour. We found the place empty so strolled right in. The place is enormous and we focused on the main hospital area used during WWII.

These were Army officer’s homes in the early 1900s, when the place was an Army fort. There are other old, unused World War One Era Army buildings there in various states of decay. There are 37 historic buildings on the VA portion of the site, built between 1898 and 1943.

This old lighthouse just off land had a door open. Very tempting if the water hadn't been so cold.

 

We entered the main hospital building and found a large computer room downstairs in the basement complete with computers still turned on which was a little unnerving. I found this handbook; who can remember MS-DOS?

 

Much of the medical and lab equipment was still in place along with rehab areas for the war vets. This interesting article is from a vet who once stayed here.

  We also found the pathology lab with equipment intact. The only people who seemed to have been here other than fellow explorers were the scrappers. Apart from their mess, and natural decay, there had been little vandalism.

 

I enjoyed playing around with this mirror on the ceiling and my camera. The place was deathly quiet and we took care not to disturb the silence.

 

  

Much of the building is still intact but the natural elements are starting to take a hold and there were areas with capsized corridors and leaking roofs. 

 What is an abandonment without a chalkboard? Of course, we signed it.

This huge bath and spa was used for rehabilition. 

Many local veterans had hoped to see this area conserved and reused as a retirement area for them. Walter Pasciak, 84, was so eager to move to a proposed $180 million waterfront retirement community for veterans in eastern Baltimore County that he paid $5,000 to be given "priority consideration" on the waiting list. "The location is great, and all the facilities would have been there," said Pasciak, a World War II veteran. Now he doesn't know whether he'll see the money again. In August 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs terminated its contract with Federal Development LLC, a Washington-based company that had been selected to redevelop Fort Howard Hospital and other buildings at the one-time Army base on the North Point peninsula. 

There is a 'Bayside' sign at the entrance and I found this site on line, but there is no evidence of building work starting. We shall return to check out the other buildings before they may be razed to the ground.