Camp Laguardia

Camp Laguardia was built in 1918 as a women's prison, after World War I there was a large increase of women criminals and it's first inmate was admitted in 1924. Years later, women criminals started to decrease, so the prison was closed. The Great Depression had started, and many had lost their jobs and  became homeless and drunk. Mayor Laguardia proposed making the prison into "Camp Greycourt" which then opened in 1934. The mayor called the camp a "human repair shop" and 40-50 percent of people who went to Greycourt left and got work. A year after Camp Greycourt was opened the residents voted to make it called "Camp Laguardia" in gratitude to Mayor Laguardia. The camp had 1,000 beds, 6 buildings, and 258 acres of land. Once the depression ended many of the homeless went out to get jobs, and alcoholics replaced the homeless at the camp. Mental hospitals started to close and some mentally ill also joined Camp Laguardia. Residents of the town started to complain about needles on their lawns, and police frequently had to search for fugitives. In 1999, the camp was handed over to "Volunteers of America". A fence was constructed all around when the camp became a very dangerous place, with muggings, and constant drugs. The camp closed in 2006 to reduce homelessness in New York. Orange County purchased the land, to resell it to a developer, when a developer tried to purchase the land and the project was rejected after much debate.

Photos:
Me!

History Sources:
​https://scenesfromthetrail.com/2018/05/13/camp-laguardia/

Access:
The building looks completely fenced off from the front, but if you go from the back road, there is absolutely no fencing and all the buildings are open.