Wilton Developmental Center
| Wilton Developmental Center | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1960 (as a state school) |
| Closed | 1975 |
| Current Status | Closed |
| Building Style | Cottage Plan |
| Location | Indian Lake, NY |
| Alternate Names |
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History[edit]
The Metropolitan Ins. Co. built a complex of 30 buildings for a tuberculosis sanatorium to “cure” their employees of the New York City Company. The sanatorium opened in 1913 and thousands of employees were cared for and sent back to work. In 1945, New York state bought the “Met” buildings to serve as a rest camp for returning Veterans of World War II. The purchase of the property included lockers full of food, silverware, X-ray equipment research labs and the supporting farms in the valley with 65 purebred cattle and 3,000 chickens. Approximately 3,000 veterans used the rehabilitation center each year. The stay was limited to 90 days for each veteran and the state paid all expenses including transportation. The rest camp closed in April 1960.
The site was reopened in 1961 as the annex of Rome State School for Mental Retardation. The name was changed to Wilton Developmental Center and the facility was maintained until November of 1975. The “Mountain” was again open for another use and was considered by New York State Parks and Recreation, but the need for increasing prison population was a priority. In 1976 the Dept. of Corrections opened the McGregor Work Camp with 150 minimum security inmates who worked in crews in the community. It consisted of 100 structures on over 1,000 acres, including dormitories, a 1915 Mission-style chapel with a pipe organ, a dining hall with large windows and panoramic views, newly-built gymnasium and medical building, and a lake. Administrative services, such as Reception or Commissary, were located on the lower level, in the tunnels connecting the buildings. The buildings covered 550,000 square feet and ranged in age from 1913 to 2007. The prison, which used only the central cluster of buildings, closed in 2014.
