D Building

Large brick building that's deteriorating' with broken windows and vines climbing here and there.

The photo is of an empty and deteriorating D Building at the deserted Pennhurst State School and Hospital. I worked there from 1970—when I was about to turn 18—through 1972. During that time, we moved from D-4 (second floor, upper right) to D-1 (first floor, lower left), then up on the hill to C-2. C-2 has been torn down. I met some wonderful people: some worked there, but most lived there. There’s been negative press and non-judgemental exposé, and I’ve found that my memories differ from most of what I’ve read. As I’ve gotten older, and been privileged enough to have had a good time doing so, I’ve often thought about the guys I knew at Pennhurst and how their lives turned out.

I remember them clearly, most by name but some are just faces. I see little mental vignettes of interactions. Larry saying, “that butt?” as he tried to bum my lit cigarette. Max saying, “Be in tomorrow?” and laughing when I said yes. Joey clapping his hands and spinning in place with a big smile. Recently I read an obituary for one of the youngest residents: a young man with Down syndrome who was two years older than me at the time. There were pictures and he looked happy. I imagine most have passed. Each of them deserves a memoir. Each deserves to be remembered. The very least that I can do is to try to remember each of the residents and list their names if I can.

Guys? I remember you, and wish I could’ve done more. I wish I would’ve known more.

  • Philip Allen
  • Larry Arnold
  • Eugene Dolan
  • William Edwards
  • Dennis Eshinour
  • Anthony Felicione
  • Rocco Ferra
  • Randy Garner
  • Max Goldman
  • Norman Glassman
  • Edgar Graham
  • David Heintzelman
  • Frankie Hinkle
  • Jerome James
  • Joey Johnson
  • Clifford Jones
  • Larry Klinger
  • Bobby Keown
  • Richard Kutz
  • Joe Langoon
  • Hetadora Lopez
  • Bill McKeever
  • Merritt Miller
  • John Milton
  • Bobby Montgomery
  • Tommy Moorehead
  • Vern Nicholson
  • Chester Olshefski
  • Arthur Ressler
  • Glenn Rhodes
  • Nelson Rivera
  • Freddie Rogers
  • Joey Rozman
  • Richard Savage
  • Tony Scarcella
  • Dominic Scaramazzini
  • Donald Scurry
  • Danville Sharp
  • Arnold Sokolof
  • Arthur Tonkins
  • Barry Van Pelt
  • Tommy Wartowski
  • Bobby Watts
  • Walter Washington
  • Tommy Weaver
  • Byron Welser
  • Tommy White
  • Arnold Wood
  • Joe Zelinski