Another fire at the former Hudson River State Hospital
Poughkeepsie official says ‘speculation … isn’t helpful.’
The first dispatch came in at 4:56am on Monday morning after drivers traveling on Route 9 noticed smoke and bright orange flames rising from one of the remaining buildings atop the site of the former Hudson River State Hospital in Poughkeepsie. When firefighters arrived on scene Monday morning, they saw a “well-involved fire that had consumed multiple floors” of the Main Administration Building. As of 6:40am Monday, the bulk of the most recent fire at the site had been knocked down, according to the Fairview Fire District.
Monday’s fire comes just days after the multi-day, mutual aid fire that started on Wednesday, June 3 around 11:19am, and destroyed several of the former psychiatric hospital’s buildings, including the administration building, a National Historic Landmark designed by Thomas S. Kirkbride, and the connected Avery Building/chapel. Four firefighters underwent medical evaluation for heat exposure during that fire, with two sent to area hospitals for further treatment. Following the fire, air quality levels recorded over two-miles away at the Adriance Memorial Library were slightly elevated, prompting those with respiratory issues to remain indoors.
No cause for either fire has been determined at this time, and the site perimeter has been reportedly secured by police following Wednesday’s fire, according to a press release. A joint investigation is currently being conducted by the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Bureau, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
Following its closure in 2012, the former Hudson River State Hospital has been subject to several fires over the years including an intentional arson attack in April of 2018 which damaged a wing of the Kirkbride building, and a fire from a lightning strike in May of 2007. The Fairview Fire District responded to 11 arson calls at the site between 2011 and 2019, according to previous reports.
“Understanding the fire’s cause will take a long time,” Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor Rebecca Edwards said on Sunday. “Speculation, in the meantime, isn’t helpful. But the town will ensure that the investigation is thorough and careful.”
Edwards followed up by noting the “potentially inspiring future for the site,” as “sucessive developers have purchased and sought to renovate but have met big challenges. The commercial plaza with the ShopRite is now open but the longtime goal of building a walkable community with varied types of housing has not been fulfilled,” she added. Hundreds of new housing units are currently authorized for the property, and the town recently secured a grant to build a new sewer line to “the historic central hilltop enabling revitalization,” Edwards said. And last Wednesday, on the night of the first fire, the town board unanimously passed an inclusionary zoning law requiring developers to set aside a certain number of rental units for affordable housing. “HRSH is one of the locations whose future the new law will shape,” Edwards added.
Following Monday’s fire, residents may still see smoke emanating from the area. Those sensitive to air pollutants or respiratory conditions should limit prolonged outdoor exposure near the site. Officials remind the public that the site is private property and trespassing is prohibited.
Please refresh this page for any updates to this story as more information becomes available.
For 141 years, Hudson River State Hospital was home to tens of thousands of individuals suffering from mental illness.
Famous architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux drafted the main building in 1869. The facility grew from a 208-acre parcel in 1871 with seven patients to 752 acres with five dozen separate buildings containing nearly 6,000 patients in 1954. The main building was constructed on a Kirkbride plan, a treating philosophy centered around an ornate building of equal proportions staffed by employees who integrated dignity and compassion into health care. Famous architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux drafted the main building in 1869. The landscape was penned by Frederick Law Olmsted, perhaps best known for the design of New York City's Central Park. Ships for free directly from Arcadia Publishing.
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