PERRYSBURG – Nestled on Peck Hill Road surrounded by woods is the J.N. Adam complex. The now-abandoned building has been vacant for nearly two decades. While the building has not been occupied since 1995, plenty of illegal visitors have been inside the fenced-off property.

More than 20 individuals have been charged with trespassing on the grounds this year with at least 26 being charged in 2013. Trespassers are using the wooded areas around the property or cutting the fence to gain access. The property, which was built in 1909 by then-Buffalo Mayor J.N. Adam with his own money, is owned by New York state.

“The property owners and the security staff have been repairing fences, but the kids keep finding their way in through a new spot in the fence,” New York State Police Sgt. Mark Suszka said.

Anyone caught inside the premises is charged with trespassing, according to Suszka. He added that most people who are caught trespassing are not from the local area and usually are from the Buffalo area. Suszka urged residents to stay out of the area, citing the building is dangerous. Much of the building’s interior is falling apart and in one section is a 3-foot hole.

“We’re actively patrolling that area. We’re very aware of the public’s interest in it. If we find somebody, they’re going to get arrested,” he said.

Most of the crimes tend to happen overnight and during the warmer months. Perrysburg Town Justice Lori Dankert could not comment on any of the cases involving J.N. Adam, but did note she has seen an increase of cases surrounding the property this summer.

Suszka said once the snow starts to fall, criminal activity “drops right off.” When asked if he knew a reason why people would want to go inside the property, Suszka said there could be a variety of reasons.

“There is any number of reasons that young people would be interested in going in there, whether they’re looking at ghosts or they think it’s scary,” Suszka said.

After being built in 1909, the hospital was used for treatment of tuberculosis until 1960. At that time, the grounds were converted into a hospital for the mentally disabled until closing its doors in the mid-1990s.

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