My Brother's Room?

I hated this place my whole life growing up. I only went once when I was 17, and it scared me. I went to visit my brother—my first time meeting him. Mansfield Training School, an institute for the "Feebleminded", shut down in the 90's for all the right reasons. Overcrowding, abuse, neglect, sanitation, etc. The people living there were then placed in small home communities, my brother being one. Today he still lives in the same house he was transferred to. As for Mansfield— it was donated to Southern Connecticut State College and since abandoned. Overgrown, boarded up and left, actually left as it was. Strangely, just left. Papers everywhere, toilet paper rolls still full, patients files... it's eerie. In August, I went and photographed it. My brother is nonverbal so I wanted to see and be in his history. I came ready to do a whole photo essay on how terrible it was — all in black and white. However, when I got there and started shooting, I keep seeing signs of effort. Signs that somebody did once care. I actually found it hard to hate the place. I am still sad for all those who were there, but there is no hate. Here is the photo that changed what my heart knew... it was the houses on the curtains.