Entry No. 52 — the Philadelphia file — filed under: asylum
Salem County Insane Asylum
Constructed in 1870, the Salem County Insane Asylum is the only surviving first-generation county asylum in New Jersey. The three-story Italianate brick structure was built to relieve overcrowding in state facilities but has been vacant and decaying since county offices relocated in 1995. Today, the boarded-up building stands as a haunting roadside relic, complete with its original wooden rooftop belvedere.
The story
Driving down Route 45 through Salem County, you will spot a three-story red-brick shell that looks like it was dropped into the Jersey countryside and forgotten. Constructed in 1870 to relieve severe overcrowding in New Jersey's state-run facilities, the Salem County Insane Asylum stands today as the state's last surviving first-generation county asylum.
Architecturally, it is a stark piece of 19th-century Italianate design, capped by an original wooden rooftop belvedere that still looms above the decaying roofline. After its era housing psychiatric patients ended, local government repurposed the structure as county office space, keeping the lights on until operations finally relocated in 1995. It has been vacant ever since.
What makes this place linger in your mind isn't folklore—it is the architectural survival act. While almost every other county facility of its era across New Jersey was demolished decades ago, this 1870 brick sentinel remains standing, slowly rusting and melting back into the landscape right off the highway.
What it's like
Keep your feet firmly on the public roadside—the building is heavily deteriorated, completely boarded up, and strictly off-limits to visitors. You don't need to trespass to get the full effect; the entire three-story exterior and its distinct rooftop cupola sit right along Route 45 with unobstructed sightlines. Pull safely off the highway shoulder, bring a decent telephoto lens if you want close-up shots of the wooden belvedere, and treat it as an atmospheric pitstop on a South Jersey backroads drive.
The move: Take a scenic drive down Route 45 to view and photograph the striking, boarded-up Italianate exterior and its historic rooftop belvedere from a safe distance.
📍 Before you go The building is heavily deteriorated, boarded up, and closed to the public, but it is easily visible and photogenic from the public roadside.
- 📍 Woodstown
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 900 NJ-45 building, Woodstown, NJ 08098, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Fort Mifflin — Pair a quick roadside look at Salem County's decaying 1870 asylum with an exploration of the historic waterfront ramparts at Fort Mifflin.
- Scott's Mill Bridge ruins — Double down on 19th-century structural decay by heading southwest to hunt down industrial mill remnants along Big Elk Creek.
- The Woodlands — Contrast this bleak, boarded-up roadside shell with a walk through the grand Victorian monuments of West Philadelphia's historic rural cemetery.
Good to know
Can you go inside or tour the building?
No. The interior is structurally compromised, boarded up, and strictly closed to the public. Trespassing laws are enforced, so view and photograph it exclusively from the public roadside.
Where exactly is the site located?
The building sits directly along Route 45 (900 NJ-45) in Salem County, New Jersey, in the Woodstown and Mannington Township area.
When was the asylum built and when did it close?
It was constructed in 1870. After its run as an asylum, it served as county government offices until those relocated in 1995, leaving the building vacant.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · preservationnj.org · historic-structures.com
last checked: 2026-07-20