REED HALL

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Photo by Author

Here at the main entrance to Reed Hall you can see where the beautiful balcony once stood over the arched entryway . You can also see where vandals caused a fire which partially destroyed the majority of the administrative section. The fire also completely  destroyed the chapel on the upper floor in the rear of the building. Just inside the doors to the left is a phone booth (to the right in the image below, facing the inside of the doors.)

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Turning around you face the "hub" or center of Reed Hall. Here you would find the elevators, the mailroom,  and executive washrooms. On the floors above this point were more offices, the library, and to the rear, the chapel. Here at the center, looking down at the floor you would see this beautiful pattern in the tile, which of course was defaced by vandals also.

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Looking straight up from this design, you would see the huge glass block window in the rear of the main hall. Directly above this area is the place where the chapel once stood.

 

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Reed Hall was once a majestic, beautiful structure, which, through the ravages of time, weather, and vandalism in the form of destruction, graffiti, and fire, became a shell of it's former glory.

 

The Mailroom

The mailroom at Dixmont still contained hundreds of papers, envelopes, and booklets, along with notices still posted on the bulletin board. To see one of these, check out the Documents page.

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

The elevator, the doctors dining room, and the offices. and tunnels.

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Dr. Henry Hutchison, who was superintendent from 1885 to 1945, held evening dinners for the doctors at the hospital, which were multi course, formal affairs. With he and his wife sitting at opposite ends of the table, the doctors participated in a formal dinner after which they were only excused from the table after washing their fingers in finger bowls.

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

The center of Reed Hall contained the administrative offices. Very little of what they looked like during operation remained prior to demolition. Some of the pictures below are frame captures from digital video, so they are not the best of quality.

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

Photo by Author

Beneath Reed Hall is a labyrinth of service tunnels, with rails in the floor for service carts, and several rooms.

Photos courtesy of Robb Pizzica and 800-fairways.com.

Photo courtesy of The Stroyne Family

 

Click here to continue the pictorial tour of Reed Hall