Letchworth Village

Letchworth Village was a residential institution located in Rockland County, New York, in the United States. It was originally established in 1911 as the Letchworth Village State School for the Intellectually Disabled. The institution was named after William Pryor Letchworth, a prominent philanthropist and advocate for people with disabilities.

Letchworth Village residents actively participated in a range of tasks based on their individual abilities. They contributed to farming, plowing, animal care, cooking, sewing, and cleaning, while also receiving vocational training in practical skills like carpentry, shoe repair, welding, and more. The institution boasted its own power plant and recreational amenities to cater to the residents' needs.

In 1935, Letchworth Village reached its capacity of 3,000 patients, causing overcrowding and overwhelming the staff with new arrivals from places like Bellevue Hospital in New York. Despite pleas for additional funding, little changed to address the situation.

In the 1940s, photojournalist Irving Haberman released photographs exposing the harsh conditions within the institution, depicting residents sleeping on floor mattresses in a naked and dirty state. By the late 1960s, the number of patients on-site had exceeded 5,000. However, the majority of the dedicated doctors and staff continued their devotion to the patients. The residents remained engaged in farming and even created toys to sell during the Christmas season.

Despite its challenges, Letchworth Village maintained its significance as a research facility and contributed to the fight against polio. Immunologist Hilary Koprowski developed one of the first polio vaccines, which he initially tested on himself. Dr. Jervis, a physician at Letchworth Village, invited him to administer the vaccine to the institution's patients, as the regulations regarding human testing were less stringent than they are today. A total of 20 children received the vaccine, with 17 developing antibodies to the virus and no complications observed. Over the following years, this vaccine, along with others developed by Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk, played a crucial role in bringing the devastating disease under control.

Letchworth Village became notorious for its poor living conditions and mistreatment of residents. Reports of neglect, unsanitary conditions, and physical and emotional abuse led to public outrage and investigations.

In the 1970s, significant reforms were made to improve the living conditions and treatment of residents in institutions like Letchworth Village. The focus shifted towards community-based care and integrating individuals with disabilities into society. Letchworth Village gradually closed its doors, and the last remaining residents were moved to community settings by the early 1990s.