• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

  • Email
  • RSS
  • Adirondacks & NNY
  • Capital-Saratoga
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Hudson Valley & Catskills
  • NYC & Long Island
  • Western NY
  • History
  • Nature & Environment
  • Arts & Culture
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Food & Farms
  • Subscribe
  • Support
  • Submit
  • About
  • New Books
  • Events
  • Podcasts

Under Threat: Willard State Hospital at Seneca Lake

June 20, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Willard State Hospitals Hadley Hall c 1887Willard State Hospital in Romulus, Seneca County, NY 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.

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.

The Preservation League of New York State has included the Willard State Hospital complex on the 2022-2023 Seven to Save list. The list highlights New York’s most endangered historic sites and the League offers listed places wider visibility, assistance with advocacy, and technical services.

For more information about the Seven to Save program and this year’s list, click here.

Photo of Willard State Hospitals Hadley Hall c 1887 provided by Preservation League of New York State.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: History, Western NY Tagged With: Architecture, Crime and Justice, Department of Corrections, Empire State Development Corporation, Finger Lakes, Historic Preservation, Medical History, Preservation League of NYS, Public Health, Romulus, Seneca County, Seneca Lake, Willard State Hospital

Please Support The New York Almanack

About Editorial Staff

Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to New York Almanack here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Help Support The Almanack

PayPal, CashApp $NewYorkAlmanack orVenmo @John-Warren-363
Subscribe to New York Almanack

Recent Comments

  • Dan dymond on 1959’s Record Low Deer Hunting Season in New York State
  • John Warren on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
  • constance barone on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
  • Darcey Hale on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
  • Richard Daly on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
  • Ds on Orson Squire Fowler & New York’s Octagon Houses
  • Richard Daly on Orson Squire Fowler & New York’s Octagon Houses
  • Richard Daly on Orson Squire Fowler & New York’s Octagon Houses
  • Bernard Thomas Mccann on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada
  • Gene Porter on The Rebellions of 1837-1838: American Influence & The Formation of Canada

Recent New York Books

Dear Friend: Letters from Union Soldier
Farming with Dynamite
Samson Occom
Whites of Their Eyes
Radicals and Rogues: The Women Who Made New York Modern
Road to Ticonderoga Campaign 1758 Champlain Valley
Birds of Happiness Aren’t Blue
The mayflower Rebecca Fraser
deep history
The Trials of Madame Restell

Secondary Sidebar

It's That Time of YearWe Can't Publish Without Your Support

New York Almanack delivers to you each day.

We receive no public funds - we're supported only by readers like you.

If you enjoy reading the Almanack - if you find yourself more informed or entertained, please donate now at

Rally.org, via PayPal, CashApp $NewYorkAlmanack, Venmo @John-Warren-363

Or send a check to:

New York Almanack
7269 State Route 9
Chestertown, NY 12817

*Donations are not tax deductible.

Give Now

Don't Show Me This Message Again.