Here we are at the New York City Farm Colony a place with a rather intriguing past. Built in 1898 it was meant to be a self-sustaining community. It housed the poor and socially outcast. The idea was utopian.
Imagine 2,000 residents working together. They would produce over 3,000 vegetables. This would easily sustain the colony.
However things changed. Social Security and drugs like thorazine came along in the 1950s. The colony lost most of its able-bodied workers. It became like a geriatric center.
Like many other farm colonies this one could not sustain itself. It closed its doors in 1975. But that was only the beginning of a darker chapter.
The 70s were a troubled time. Local children disappeared. They were later found in shallow graves on the Farm Colony property. Former patients were seen haunting the grounds. They walked through decaying tunnels under the buildings. They once worked to keep up.
Teenagers also came to the New York City Farm Colony. They left layers of graffiti on the walls. They left beer cans on the paths. Paintball became a common pastime.
In January 2016 the New York City Economic Development Corporation sold 45 acres to a developer. The plan was to build condos that would open in 2017. The redevelopment included “arrested ruins.” These were described as stabilized landmarked buildings.
The New York City Farm Colony is fenced off. But there is a gap in the fence on Walcott Avenue. It is possible to enter the abandoned buildings from there.
The Richmond County Poor Farm was established earlier in 1829. It was renamed the New York City Farm Colony when Staten Island became a borough in 1898. The residents most of them elderly were required to work. They farmed fruits vegetables wheat and corn.
Residency declined after Social Security was implemented. In 1975 the facility closed and has been abandoned since then. Some buildings have collapsed. Others are more structurally sound. The buildings are mostly empty and covered in graffiti.
The Farm Colony has a sinister legend the Cropsey killer. Cropsey is like New York’s boogeyman. The legend involves a maniac in the woods with an axe.
In the 1970s and 1980s children disappeared. Andre Rand a custodian at Willowbrook State School became the modern-day Cropsey. He was suspected in the disappearances.
The New York City Farm Colony has a complex history. It started as a utopian community then declined and became associated with tragedy and urban legend. It is now being redeveloped. The future of this historic site remains to be seen. Its past however will never be forgotten.