When I was a teenager in Colorado there existed an abandoned building in Arvada. The site was the former home of the Colorado State Home and Training School, also known as Ridge Home; also known as the Home for Mental Defectives; and naturally kids shared stories of the haunted "insane asylum."
I initially started this blog with the intention of playing up spooky stories in time for Halloween, but what I found was that the true history of the old Ridge Home is much darker than most ghost stories. Using the Western History subject index newspaper index and clipping files I found a history of articles detailing the complicated history of the institution.
Article after article outlined the problems Ridge Home had over the decades it was open.
- In the 1940s forced sterilization was practiced on a regular basis.
- In the 1950s one newspaper article quoted an administrator who said that many of the Home's adult patients were far too mentally competent to be in the home, but were there because their families had abandoned them. He blamed poor testing practices and the patient's youth when admitted for the oversight.
- In the 1970s parts of the campus were ordered closed, because of cracks in the walls and foundation caused shifting ground.
- Fire safety was also deemed inadequate as the buildings were lacking both fire escapes and viable exit paths in case of emergency.
- In the 1980s there were reports of residents being neglected due to under staffing and lack of funding for proper staff training.
- At least one member of the staff was sent to prison after being convicted of abusing multiple patients and bragging about it to friends.
A 1988 newspaper article reports constant breaks-ins by thrill-seeking teenagers and homeless people looking to get warm.
By 1992 Ridge Home was closed for good.
Having been abruptly abandoned due to funding cuts the building was still filled with beds, equipment, and toys in the years following its closure. Walls were covered with graffiti tags and asbestos was leaking from torn steam pipes.
Not every story of the home was focused on financial trouble and abuse charges, over its long history there were also plenty of caring staff and administrators.
A Denver Post article from 1959 reported that the 670 children in the institution called the superintendent, Edith Raftery, mom. The paper also mentioned the high quality care she was known for dispensing and that she hadn't taken a vacation from the home in over 17 years. In June 1955 a graduation ceremony held at the home for five residents who received their high school diplomas.
The majority of the problems over the years at the Ridge Home consistently pointed back to inadequate funding that kept it from addressing its myriad of problems.
Whether the rumors of the abandoned center being haunted are true or not, it's checkered past is certainly haunting. The building no longer stands and is now the site of a large chain store, but its history can be reviewed via Western History and Genealogy's reference resources.
Comments
When I was in Kindergarten in
When I was in Kindergarten in Wheatridge, CO, my friend, Stephen's father was the superintendent at Ridge home- at least I think. That has been so many years ago. I believe their last name was something like Zear. Stephen's sister's name was Sandra. I think the father passed away at a young age. i don't know how long he was in the administration there at Ridge Home, but I know they lived on the grounds there in 1964 or 1965. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?
I moved to Arvada, CO in 1969
I moved to Arvada, CO in 1969. Every morning I rode a bus to downtown Denver where I worked. There were mentally retarded teenagers from Ridge who had jobs downtown and rode the same bus. They usually all sat up front, right behind the driver. I enjoyed sitting in the seats close by so that I could listen to them. They were all very chatty about their day at work. I don't remember them talking about Ridge Home. They were all so proud of the jobs they performed. They even boosted that they were going to save up enough money and buy cars so they wouldn't have to ride the bus! I had such a good impression about Ridge at that time, even though I had heard negative comments about it. The children were all happy, enthusiastic about life, polite, well behaved and laughed a lot! It was a very good experience for me, being from a small midwest town. Where I grew up children like them were kept at home and mistreated by their own families. I thought Ridge sounded like a wonderful place and they lived in a family-type atmosphere.
My mother worked there for a
My mother worked there for a decade plus, and helped set up the group homes that many of the residents were relocated to. I kinda grew up there, as I was often forced to occompany my mom to work ( punishment for untrustworthy latch key kids). This was the late seventies and early 80's. By mid 80's it was all group homes. Even as a child, the whole place had a profound affect on me. I participated in a class when I was about 5 called "Skip School" were "normal" kids attended class with residents of an equililent learning level. When I was 8-13 I remember wandering the vast campus, playing on the trampolines, the gyms, the creek/ irrigation canal, getting caught in a massive baseball size hail storm. Most of all I remember some of the residents, individually and very specifically, if not always their names. I remember that my mother cared deeply for them, and had this hanging in her office that said something to the effect of that these people were "pure and innocent, free from the ails of society."
As an adult thinking back on the place, I can see the potential for abuse, underfunding and such.
That facility was part of my mother, and part of me too. It was where my mom worked, and as I child it was all I knew about her. She continued working with the developmentally disabled in group homes long after her retirement.
Sorry for the ramble, reading this blog just flooded me with memories.
Me too. There were wonderful
Me too. There were wonderful people there, like your Mother. I was recruited because they trusted me. The woman who trained me sounds like your Mother. The dates are even close. It was a tragedy for everyone!!! I was happy to hear your story.
I worked at Ridge Home as a
I worked at Ridge Home as a candy striped (volunteer) in the early 60’s. I cared for smaller children and people with hydrocephalus. It was definitely overload for me. I remember one boy who seemed to have average intelligence, but had club feet, which at that time was treatable. He should not have been there. I was alone with about 30 children at one time.
My son David Bryan Bray was
My son David Bryan Bray was admitted to State Home and Training School at Wheat Ridge,Colo. on Sept. 26, 1963. He was severely retarded and a crib patient. I have been trying to find his burial place for years now. He passed away within a year of pneumonia.
Does anyone know if there are
Does anyone know if there are burial records, a cemetery, or some way to find those who died while living at this facility. I'm searching for a man that was about 15 at the time of the 1940 census. None of his living relatives know what ever happened to him. It looks like he went to live there after his mother died and his father remarried.
Hi Diane - It sounds like you
Hi Diane - It sounds like you have a very challenging, and very heartbreaking, research puzzle on your hands. We have a resource, the Denver Obituary Project, which is an index of obituaries that appeared in Denver newspapers between 1922 and contemporary times. These records are arranged by date of death, so you may have to do some digging. Also, if you are in touch with this young man's direct descendants, it should be possible for them to get a copy of his death certificate from the State of Colorado vitals records offices. I hope this information helps you, but please don't hesitate to contact us directly if you have any additional questions we can help with.
Thanks!
I am thrilled to say I helped
I am thrilled to say I helped “Officials”!to close it down. In College I volunteered to work there for extra credit towards my degree.
I cannot say a lot as I signed a NDA. I can say, they did Hysterectomies on 12 year olds without consent. I saw the Incisions and with equipment I was supplied with, took pictures and recorded statements. I understood that my name would never be mentioned. I got my thanks when they closed the place down. You people don’t know the half of it. It was like walking into Hell, with kindness praying they would be placed in a better place.
It’s still not closed down...
It’s still not closed down....... it’s a blessing for many people and families.