Forest Haven

This place is on private property. Listing for informational purposes only. Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner. Also known as the D.C. Training School, it was opened in 1925. Originally built to be a state-of-the-art compound it quickly turned into a place of all around malpractice. Patients here had developmental issues and were mostly children and young adults. Eventually Forest Haven was forced to shut down due to fines and many lawsuits against them. It has been abandoned since 1991. The grounds consist of about 20 buildings spread throughout 250 acres, the largest of which being the administration building. The grounds also house dozens of patient files that tell sad stories of neglect and abuse, and the neighboring patient cemetery has been so badly damaged by erosion that it's possible to see the coffins.  In late 2010, one urban explorer stumbled onto the remains of what was thought to be an infant in the abandoned buildings. This was proven to be a hoax by investigating police, though it sparked a much publicized newspaper article that featured a map of the ground that has oft been used by other urban explorers.  Today, 23 years after it's closure, the building continues to stand as a warning against the abuse and neglect of the mentally challenged. Get more information at: Abandoned Playgrounds