Matthew Hunt lived on Bennetts Bridge Road in Newtown CT. Matthew attended the Newtown Middle School on Queen Street and Newtown High School on Berkshire Rd. While attending Newtown High School, Matthew created this web site and titled it "The Lost Asylum - Fairfield Hills State Hospital".
The Lost Asylum is a product of Matthew's interest in the history of the Fairfield State Hospital, nestled in Newtown CT. Matthew was fascinated with stories telling of the past psychiatric hospital. He was curious of the physical grounds and buildings, of all the staff and patients, and medical treatments that took place there.
The State of Connecticut had closed the doors of the hospital entirely in 1995. Matthew felt Fairfield Hills was an important and very significant chapter in the history of Newtown, and therefore needed to be documented. Sable Stevens, also a student at Newtown High School, joined with Matthew in this endeavor.
The joint project was profiled in a July 2003 article of The Newtown Bee titled Fascinated By Fairfield Hills, Two Students Launch A Website. As reported in The Bee, "The more than six-month project involved gathering countless pages of research, conducting interviews with area experts and officials, and taking approximately 4,000 pictures of Fairfield Hills."
The tragedy of Matthew Hunt, is that at only 18 years of age, Matthew suddenly died at his home, in the early morning hours of February 4, 2004. The Newtown Bee reported Matthew's death in an article titled Matt Hunt Remembered For His Humor And Kindness. Funeral services took place at the Honan Funeral Home, on Main Street in Newtown CT.
Matthew's mass was held at the Saint Rose of Lima, Roman Catholic Church, on Church Hill Road in Newtown CT. The Reverend Robert E. Weiss, Pastor (Father Bob) presided over the mass. As Matthew had been fascinated by "The Titanic", "My Heart Will Go On" sung by Celine Dion in the movie "The Titanic" was played in concluding mass for Matthew.
Matthew is buried in the Newtown Village Cemetery, on Elm Drive in Newtown CT. Matthew's grave and headstone are located a short distance to the left of, and slightly behind "The Hawley Memorial". The Hawley Memorial is located just inside the entrance to the Newtown Village Cemetery.