Hospitals

Haunted Asylums / Hospitals/Orphanages

The Athens Mental Health Center, in Athens County, is located on a hill across the Hocking River in Ohio. It opened in January 9, 1874 on land purchased from a local farmer named Coates’s. In recent years, the State Hospital campus last known as ‘The Ridges”, has been absorbed into the Ohio University campus and now houses several of the University buildings. Obviously, lots of changes have taken place on this plot of land, but there still exists some original remnants of the old institution - not entirely physical remnants though…
Many years ago, mental institutions were considered bizarre places indeed. The Athens Mental Health Center was an infamous facility that was used to house the criminal insane. Various stories exist of atrocities that occurred within its walls. Beatings, tortures, and other cruel forms of punishment were apparently the norm for its day and there have even been many reports of deaths and murders occurring within facility's walls.

Facility History
The institution was closed in the 1980’s during the time when Reagan closed many of the state’s hospitals in order to force budget savings. Many of the inmates were simply released on the streets and now account for much of Athens’s relatively large homeless population. Ohio University acquired most of the institution’s campus and many of the buildings have been or are being refurbished to be used as administration buildings. Several of the buildings are opened to the public where interested parties can take guided tours and hear of the atrocities and horrendous treatment of the hospital's inmates.

Margaret Schilling

One of the more popular stories provides the tourists with a vivid and grim reminder of how important a ‘normal’ functioning mind can be. Shortly before the institution closed, an inmate named Margaret Schilling disappeared from the campus. The January 12, 1979 issue of the Athens Post ran a story on it and asked the public for any assistance they could provide. A search party was assembled but no trace of Marge could be found. The center then closed and nothing more was thought about the missing patient. A few weeks later, a maintenance man named Clarence Allison was working in Ward N.20 when he made a shocking discovery in the attic of the facility. Marge’s body, which had been decaying for 5 weeks, was found sprawled on the floor. They reasoned that Marge had hidden in the attic of the building. Demented and unable to care for herself, Marge had simply died of starvation in the very spot she chose to hide. Her body laid near one wall and was somewhat decomposed.
After removing the body, the officials were surprised to find a perfect outline of her body superimposed on the floor. The outline revealed many details – the folds and wrinkles of her clothes and even the style of hair she wore at death, were clearly visible. The stain was cleaned but mysteriously reappeared. After many more cleanings it was soon apparent that the stain was not going anywhere. Scientists reasoned that the stain was caused by the decomposition of here body, an occurrence not entirely unheard of. Today, the stain on the marble floor is still very visible and is a focal point of the campus tours.

Cemeteries in the area
Another focal point of the facility is one of the campus’s notorious cemeteries. The cemetery still remains, located on the edge of the grounds, as a grim reminder of the institution’s earlier days. Consisting of perfectly straight rows of graves, the inmates were not even given the dignity of a marked grave. Each plot contains a small stone engraved with nothing more than the resident’s number. In one area of the cemetery, amongst the perfectly straight rows of unmarked graves, is a circular arrangement of headstones. Nobody is sure why the graves were arranged in this manner, as there is nothing apparently unique about graves. What is known though, is that this particular spot is a favorite meeting place for witch havens and other alternative religions.
Other cemeteries in the area are also popular spots for unusual paranormal activities. In fact, the British Society for Psychical Research rates the Hannings Cemetery as the 13th most haunted place in the world. There are many reports of strange noises, ghostly apparitions, and odd disappearances that have occurred in or around the cemetery.
The most talked about and most frequent sighting is of an old man, wearing a hooded robe, who chases people out of the cemetery with his sickle. Simms Cemetery, also listed as one of the top haunted places on Earth by the British Society for Psychical Research, is where you’ll find the Hanging Tree. The cemetery was named after John Simms, a local official known for his many trials and hangings during the 1800’s. The tree still stands and the rope scars are still quite visible to anyone brave enough to approach it. West State Cemetery, currently unused, also has a large number of reported hauntings. Containing many unmarked graves, graves of fallen soldiers, and even a few infamous killers, the cemetery contains an odd piece of art called the Angel Statue. The statue, placed there to commemorate the fallen soldiers buried on the grounds, has been reported by many to flap its wings and to weep real tears.

Stranger still, the 5 area cemeteries, if viewed on a map, form the perfect shape of a pentagram with Wilson Hall, a building located on the Athens campus, lying smack dab in the middle of the geometric arrangement. Wilson Hall, located on the West Green, was first opened in 1964. Most new students find out quickly that Wilson Hall is reputed to be haunted. In fact, one room, room 428, is closed and permanently sealed due to the number of unusual sightings reported there. Students tell stories of objects flying off of shelves and smashing into the walls, doors mysteriously opening and closing, toilets flushing, and the appearance of the ghost of the student who died in the room. The student, deeply involved in the occult, was killed or committed suicide in the room during the 1970’s. It was said that the student practiced astro projection, a method where the human spirit separates from the body and travels on its own. There were also rumors that she often dabbled in sorcery.
Spiritualists have claimed that the geography of the Athens area, the layout of the mountains, peaks, and valleys, makes it conducive to psychic energy. The Post did a search of property records in the early 1980’s and found that Wilson Hall was built on the same land as the original site of a graveyard used by the Athens Mental Institute.

Historical tip: tuberculosis was once known as "consumption", or "white plague."

Waverly Hills Sanitorium

Hauntings:

apparitions, pin lights, shadow people, “glittering” lights, cold spots, footsteps, doors closing or the sounds of doors closing, food odors, and electronic voice phenomena including some researchers claiming to have been told to “get out.” Others have reported objects falling on them, or unknown presences touching, pushing, or tripping them.

Many have seen a little boy playing with his ball on the third floor, many people have witnessed “shadow people,” and there has been a report of a woman running from the building with chains on bleeding from the wrists shrieking, “Help me! Somebody save me!”

Room 502:Legend has it that it was the scene of two suicides by nurses. One hanged herself in 1928, while the other jumped out of the room's window

The hospital, known as Waverly Hills, was opened in 1926 and was considered to be the most advanced tuberculosis hospital in the country. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, Waverly Hills was the place to come for treatment. Of course, treatment in those days was primitive at best, meaning that many simply came here to die. In those days, it was believed that the best cure for tuberculosis was plenty of nutritional food, plenty of rest and plenty of fresh air. Many patients came to Waverly and were actually cured and became well enough to once again enter society. For those not as fortunate, Waverly was the last place they ever saw. Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. At the height of the tuberculosis epidemic, it is reported that one patient an hour died.

THE BODY CHUTE

The body chute is where the bodies of the dead would be placed on gurney tables and lowered to the bottom of the tunnel where hearses would picked them up for funeral arrangements. This tunnel was totally enclosed from the morgue wing of the hospital insuring that the patients would not see how many bodies were leaving the hospital to keep up their morale. Doctors discovered early that mental health in patients is just as important as physical health. At one point in time, Waverly had approximately one death an hour, and it is known that at least 63,000 people died at the hospital.

Light is but a farewell gift from the darkness to those on their way to die.

Unusual punishment: "Bath of Surprise," a gallows-like platform that dumped a patient into icy water;

A working model of O'Halloran's Swing, in which strapped-in patients spun at up to 100 RPMs. Before retiring

The giant patient treadmill -- a locked mega-gerbil-wheel monstrosity -- where frisky residents could walk off their excess energy.

North Hampton State Hospital

This hospital opened in 1858 and 200 patients walked through the doors and by 1952 the patient numbers had swelled to well over 2000. gradually it began to closed down as its patients moved to community-based homes. and it finally closed it's doors in 1998.

Patients who died while staying at the hospital were buried on the grounds in unmarked graves.

Some say that the building has become a living entity of unusual power. It breaths, It talks to you. Water leaks drip into puddles causing monstrous echoes to mutate into voices, footsteps, or a rhythmic pulse. "You see things in there, you feel things." Stories of those who have lived and worked in the hospital, Evidence of the past creeps up on you. Whether it's the building itself or ghosts... you are not alone.

The Bartonville Asylum for the Incurable Insane (later changed to Peoria State Hospital) was started in 1902 and continued operation until 1972 when it was closed for good. In that time over 70,000 persons with varying degrees of mental or physical problems came through it's doors, some ending up eventually in unmarked, numbered or named graves in one of it's four cemeteries. The property has 700 acres and over 20 of the original 33 buildings still intact. Little by little it is being torn down but there is no definite schedule for complete destruction. Underground rooms get filled in or steps get torn out. The power plant was sealed by the EPA in 2000 but it still stands. Underground steam tunnels still lead to the power plant. The inside of the main building is torn up by vandals and treasure hunters but intact. The doors are sealed over with sheet metal and chains but people manage to get in from time to time.The cemeteries (4) are all completely accessable and in good shape. Hundreds of the headstones are tall with rounded tops and only bear a patient number because several of the names were unknown in the early days. Later they went to a pyramid shape with full names and more information and later still, they went to a flat, low rise rectangular stone. Dr. Anthony Zeller who ran the place for over 3 decades revolutionized care at State hospitals and pioneered the cottage system. Several other Illinois hospitals copied not only his style of care but also the architectural style of the hospital.

Westbrooke Asylum ~~ Bridgeport, OH

At the time Westbrooke Asylum and Medical Testing Facility opened its doors, it was a state-of-the art medical research and testing facility. It was also known for housing many of the era's most notorious psychopathic criminals.

Founded by Edward J. Westbrooke, MD in 1956, Westbrooke Asylum began its decline less than a decade later when reports of deplorable conditions, patient abuse and horrific experiments began to emerge. The facility closed its doors on October 13, 1967 after a murderous riot within the asylum claimed the lives of more than 60 patients and 14 staff members.

In 2007, the 40th anniversary of the riot and lockdown, the sanitarium was reopened to the public as a tourist attraction and quickly became known for its alleged paranormal activity. Guided tours are available.

Ruins of Gore Orphanage

Located in Loraine county, Ohio
A large orphanage, housing over 100 children, once stood here. On his way to the outhouse, young boy fell, dropped his lantern and thus set the entire complex ablaze. None but the boy managed to escape. Today, if one stands in the remains of the building, he will hear the screams of the children and infants that perished in the inferno. also It is said that if you visit the site late at night you can hear the screams and smell roasting children. There is also apparently a tree with a tire swing near the site where you can see a child sometimes. All that remains of this orphanage is the foundation.

Holy Family Orpahanage in Marquette, Michigan

The orphanage was opened in 1915 and was closed in 1965. There are many rumors of children being beaten and killed at the orphanage. It is even said that the building is haunted, with the surrounding residents claiming to see and hear wierd things coming from the building. One striking story of the orphanage is that one winter, a child was playing outside in a blizzard/snowstorm, and caught pheumnoia, which lead to her death. When she died, her body was displayed on a table for all the orphans to see as a lesson of why not to play outside in the snow.