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Opened in 1904, The Norwich Hospital for the Insane was constructed to house the mentally ill on the scenic Thames River. Beginning with just one patient building, the hospital quickly expanded over the years to become what it looks like today; a cottage style asylum with many buildings connected by underground tunnels. Admissions continued to exceed discharges for the next twenty-five years peaking to a high of 1,115 during the fiscal year 1929. During the FY 1941, for the first time the discharges, 917, exceeded the admissions, 626. This difference of more than 46 percent might be attributed to and directly correlated with the administrative competency and expectations of Dr. Bryan. After 1941 admissions continued to accelerate and exceed discharges. This trend persisted until 1969. Norwich closed in 1996, and the property has been under scrutiny by a company called Utopia Studios, who have expressed an interest in developing the site. Plans call for apartments, a large movie production studio and an amusement park (!).
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