Endgame

Chronicling the sanatorium's final year of demolition.

June 2002

- 6/05/02 -

Article on the opening of the hilltop

 

 

 

May 2002

- 5/22/02 -

A moment of silence

 

 

The Essex Mountain Sanatorium
1907 - 2002

 

 

April 2002

- 4/07/02 -

 

Pour whiskey on the wounds
Salt the glass and say goodbye
No feel-good scenes
To bring you back
Just some fallen brick
And some broken glass
Wreckin' ball

Wreckin' ball operator
20 years pulling the lever
And these windows shield the cold
From the weather of my soul

Feel the heart-strings sinking fast
Another treasure found
Another tumbling down

I protect my ears and eyes
From the dust and noise
The work comes down to the bitter end
The diesel hums - the cycle spins
When we meet on that hard hat ground
Just a photograph
And no one else around
Words to live by - just goes to show
Someday we all gotta go

Feel the heart-strings sinking fast
Another treasure found
Another tumbling down

- Son Volt -

 

 

 

March 2002

- 3/26/02 -

One last caress

 

 

 

The front garage and laundry building have been destroyed

 

Only the powerhouse remains

 

- 3/22/02 -

A Star Ledger article on the sale of the hilltop property to developers

 

 

 

January 2002

- 1/30/02 -

Article on the conservation of 240 acres of the sanatorium grounds for use as a county park

 

 

Although a small portion of the hilltop property will be preserved and protected from future development, the majority of the land will be sold to developers.  Therefore, the sanatorium will not be spared.  The remaining buildings will be destroyed, all tunnels collapsed, filled, and/or sealed, and the hilltop property will be opened to the public.

 

Asbestos removal has begun on the powerhouse, preparing it for demolition

 

 

 

December 2001

- 12/01/01 -

Visited a dying friend today. . . .

 

 

The Medical Staff Building and the garage behind it have been destroyed

 

An updated plot plan

 

 

November 2001

- 11/06/01 -

An Associated Press article about the sanatorium

 

 

 

September 2001

- 9/19/01 -

Went up to the sanatorium yesterday. . . .

 

The remaining buildings

 

Both buildings burned in June 2001

(the female employee home and the garage behind the powerhouse)

have been razed

 

Updated the plot plan to show the recent demolition

 

 

August 2001

- 8/08/01 -

A Star Ledger article about the demolition of the sanatorium

 

 

 

July 2001

- 7/31/01 -

A Star Ledger article about the sanatorium

 

 

 

June 2001

- 6/12/01 -

Newspaper articles about the fires on the hilltop

 

 

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