A BRIEF HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD HILLS

Many people ask us about the Fairfield Hills Campus. Here’s a synopsis of the history of the grounds and our building. More information can be found online. 

Fairfield Hills was a psychiatric hospital built in 1930 by the State of Connecticut and originally called Fairfield State Hospital. After 1963 it was known as Fairfield Hills Hospital. The original property was nearly 800 acres and was completely self-sufficient with farming, cattle, a sewage treatment plant and electricity generation. The state operated the hospital until 1995 when 

they transferred the remaining patients to a facility in Middletown. The Town of Newtown bought approximately 184 acres of the original property in 2004, including all 20 buildings plus numerous small houses and outbuildings. Most of the buildings were connected by underground tunnels which were used to convey food from the central cafeteria along with doctors, nurses, patients, and even corpses. Due to safety concerns, illegal trespassing and vandalism, the tunnels have been filled in. Many of the buildings have been torn down since the Town purchase and most others are abandoned and not maintained. It’s illegal to enter those buildings.

At its peak in the late 1960s, there were approximately 4000 patients housed on the grounds along with 20 doctors, 50 nurses, and 100 support staff. Many treatments, considered cutting edge at the time, were performed here including hydrotherapy, electroshock therapy, and frontal lobotomies.

The NewSylum Brewing Company building was formerly named “Stratford Hall” and was originally the staff dining room. It eventually became the staff library. Dave and Mark, the founders of the brewery, first approached the town with a letter of intent in October 2017. Along with Sharky, a third partner, they began renovations April 1, 2019, and brewed their first beer on March 31, 2020, with head brewer John Watson. We are the first commercial enterprise to open on the campus.

The campus is home to The Newtown Municipal Center in the fully renovated former Bridgeport Hall. Also, newly constructed buildings house the Newtown Youth Academy (NYA), Newtown Community Center, and the Newtown Ambulance Corp. There are many walking trails, ball fields, and frequent events such as a seasonal farmers’ market, car shows, a carnival, art exhibits, and many others. The movie Sleepers, starring Brad Pitt, was filmed here in 1996.

When asked whether the campus is haunted or not, we can only answer, “we’re not sure.”