Overbrook Hospital: Book Adds To Mythology Of Cedar Grove's Infamous Asylum, PHOTOS

Cedar Grove, NJ – If you’ve ever found yourself entranced by the mythology surrounding the now-defunct Overbook Mental Hospital in Essex County, you now have some new fuel for your obsession.

Earlier this week, longtime Weird NJ correspondent Wheeler Antabanez announced the release of his new book, “The Old Asylum And Other Stories,” published by Sagging Meniscus Press of Montclair.

According to a company news release, the stories in Antabanez’s book are fictional tales that are set against the backdrop of the old asylum and abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium that once stood on the Hilltop property in Cedar Grove.

The abandoned asylum – now under demolition – has long been a popular and off-limits urban exploration site for locals.

• See related article: Trespassing At Overbrook: Police Apprehend 7 In Essex County
• See related article: More Trespassing Arrests At Old Essex County Hospital Grounds
• See related article: Fire Torches Abandoned Overbrook Asylum Building In Essex County

“Having spent a significant portion of his youth playing in these forsaken hospitals, Wheeler's explorations of the crumbling institutions directly influenced the stories in the book,” the news release stated. “[The book] takes readers back to Wheeler’s roots: exploring and writing about the Essex Mountain Sanatorium.”

In addition to the stories, the book includes a non-fiction interview about Wheeler’s experiences exploring the Overbrook Mental Hospital and the TB Sanatorium on the Hilltop. Interspersed throughout the book are eighteen portraits of the Overbrook Sanitarium, painted by the author.

Learn more about the book here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photos courtesy of Wheeler Antabanez

Sign up for Patch NJ email newsletters here.