The former Willowbrook State School on Staten Island was once synonymous with patient abuse. The last patient moved out 40 years ago this year, and to mark that milestone, we're taking a look back at the site's history. Borough reporter Amanda Farinacci has more.

The Willowbrook State School has long been closed -- its final patient moved out 40 years ago next month. But on what's since become the campus of the College of Staten Island, there are traces all over of the old institution. 

"What we want to be sure is that history doesn't repeat itself," said CUNY College of Staten Island President William Fritz.

Willowbrook was built in the 1930s as a facility for children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

The 300 acre site was thrust into the national spotlight in the 1970s when an undercover investigation by Geraldo Rivera revealed horrific conditions for the six-thousand people living there.

Rooms were overcrowded. Residents were covered in feces and urine, left to wander halls aimlessly for hours, unattended. Others were used for medical experiments. Some were physically and sexually abused by staff. 

Shortly after Rivera's story, parents filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the school violated the constitutional rights of their children. 

The Willowbrook Consent Decree, signed in 1975, began the slow process of forcing the state to improve conditions.

"You can draw a straight line from the Willowbrook Consent Decree to the American with Disabilities Act, which is a key civil rights legislation, which is probably a model for the rest of the world in terms of how to care for people with disabilities," Fritz said.

In 2015, in partnership with the College, Rivera established the Fund for Social Work and Disability Studies. Its aim is to empower people with disabilities and influence public policy.

"Our focus at the college is what can we do to make the best possible outcome out of that story," Fritz added.

That's why you'll find markers for a so-called "Willowbrook Mile" on a walking path around campus, each with facts about the old institution and what can be learned from it.

Today, nearly all of the old buildings have been renovated. But some still have their original numbers. Outside one of them reads a sign: "To honor those who struggled here on the grounds of the old Willowbrook Institution. We preserve this former building number in their respectful remembrance."