In Massachusetts there were, at one time, three institutions built
specifically for the care and education of the intellectually and
physically disabled. Set in the rolling hills and bucolic farmland of
early suburban communities, these schools set out to make their students
ready to return home and to become productive members of society. Over
time, however, these schools grew into large-scale warehouses where
education was no longer the primary goal. Instead, the purpose of the
institution was to isolate the disabled from the rest of society.
Eventually, two of the three state schools were dismantled and the third
scaled back in operation, leaving behind the abandoned remains of what
were once premier institutions for the education of the disabled. This
brief overview of the history of state schools in Massachusetts is
presented through a collection of images both historical and current,
giving a glimpse inside the past.