The transallegheny lunatic asylum in weston, west virginia contributor names highsmith, carol m. The transallegheny lunatic asylum is a stunning testament to gothic and tudor revival architecture. The hospital was intended to be selfsufficient, and a farm, dairy, waterworks, and cemetery were located on its grounds, which ultimately reached 666 acres 266 ha in area. Transallegheny lunatic asylum and the haunting enigma of. The asylum finally opened as the west virginia hospital for the insane soon after west virginia became a state in 1863, and the kirkbride building began accommodating patients in 1864. Washburn, my great great great great grandfather was one of the many people that helped to build the weston state hospital way back in the 1800s. Sharpe, jr, hospital, 936 sharpe hospital road, west virginia 264528550. Transallegheny lunatic asylum is a spooky place in weston.
Weston state hospital wvu research repository west virginia. Later known as the weston state hospital, the transallegheny lunatic asylum. Formerly known as the weston state hospital, this west virginia facility served as a sanctuary for the mentally ill in the mid1800s. Weston state hospital got its name in 19 which was used while patients. The history of the building holds fascinating stories of civil war raids, a gold robbery, the curative effects of architecture, and the efforts of determined individuals to help better the lives of the mentally ill. Suspicious deaths at the weston state hospital 1992. Later known as the weston state hospital, the transallegheny lunatic asylum formerly functioned as a prominent psychiatric facility in northern west virginia. The transallegheny lunatic asylum located in weston, wv. In the early 1900s it changed its name to weston state hospital. Transallegheny asylum for the insane weston state hospital, weston.
The weston state hospital one of its many names since the 1850s when it was planned and construction of what is purported to be the largest handcut stone structure in the nation began has. What is known, is that after the incident, john creamer, the executor of muriels estate, sued weston state hospital for wrongful death. Bland, special correspondent for the state journal, very truthfully describes the situation at the hospital in a dispatch to his paper on tuesday. Weston state hospital got its name in 19 which was used while patients occupied it, but was changed back to its originally commissioned, unused name, the trans. There is 1 hospital per 2,020 people, and 1 hospital per square mile in west virginia, weston is ranked 19th of 1046 cities in hospitals per capita, and 11th of. Its name was again changed to weston state hospital in 19. Touring the transallegheny lunatic asylum in weston, west. Using the findings of doctor thomas kirkbride and the wishes of dorothea dix as the foundation for the structure, the hospital was meant to hold a mere twohundred and fifty patients.
This national historic landmark served as a sanctuary for the mentally ill beginning in the mid1800s. I waited until dark to go in, after leaving my car outside of the park, which closes at night. The transallegheny lunatic asylum tala in the mountains of weston, west virginia, holds many dark and disturbing stories. It was the first public institution to employ the kirkbride plan, which promoted patient privacy and a welcoming, naturally lit environment. Welcome to the transallegheny lunatic asylum aka the weston state hospital located in historic weston, west virginia.
Hospital with forensic patients, meaning those involved with the criminal justice system, while sending other patients to other. Transallegheny lunatic asylum, previously known as the weston state hospital, or the west virginia hospital for the insane would be intimidating even without the ghosts. West virginia vital research records death record detail. I have included various paranormal evidence and input from past paranormal. Since midoctober, state officials have filled william r. Transallegheny lunatic asylum weston state hospital was closed. Westborough insane hospital, nrhp registration form. This book is my own meager attempt to outline some of the asylums darker history. A guide to the records of western state hospital, 18252000 a collection in the library of virginia accession numbers 31030, 353, 31704, 32451, 41253, 41283, 41404, 44812, 45553, 50576, 50989. I have ancestors on my dads side of the family that lived in west virginia.
Later known as the weston state hospital, tala was a kirkbride psychiatric hospital, constructed from 18581881 and in operation from 1864 until 1994. They appointed a commission to choose several sites and present their findings at the next session in 1887. The story could, and in my opinion, should have been contained in one volume. Once it was a house of horrors with severe overcrowding, inhumane conditions, and rampant violence. After finally reopening as a tourist spot that hosted ghost tours, it readopted its original name, the transallegheny lunatic asylum.
The top 10 hospital stories from george eliot to ken kesey, novelist sarah moss finds the best novels featuring these fascinating, sometimes frightening institutions sarah moss. Its monumental main structure, the largest handcut stone masonry building in north america, divides 242,000 square feet over four floors, is a staggering 1,296 ft long, and. Weston woods audiovisual adaptations bring outstanding childrens picture books to life. Correspondence with the weston state hopsital dec 2001, shows it is now state of west virginia, dept of health and human resources, william r. Located in weston, wv this national historic landmark offers historic and ghost tours, and overnight ghost hunts throughout the year. The tales of hauntings and unearthly spirits lurking within the building and on the grounds started long before it ceased to be a hospital. The weston state hospital housed west virginias mentally ill from 1864 to 1994. The transallegheny lunatic asylum later named weston state hospital, constructed between 1858 and 1881, is the largest handcut stone masonry building in north america, and is purportedly the second largest in the world, next to the kremlin. Shannon otoole flickr this asylum is one of the largest handcut stone masonry buildings in america. Today, it comes as no surprise that is said to be extremely haunted. Transallegheny aka weston state hospital is a 242,000 square foot sandstone block building which started her construction at the end of 1858 by prison laborers to house psychiatric patients.
See more ideas about haunted hospital, ghost stories and creepy. The atkinson building, erected in 1897, three stories in height, containing three wards, all used for male patients. Wv officials filling sharpe hospital with forensic. The case was heard by the wv supreme court in 1969 and it was found that the hospital was not at fault, as they could not have possibly known that mrs. Another name change, to weston state hospital in 1915, reflected a lack of confidence in the operation of the hospital, and within a couple of decades, the patient population was more than 2,000. Although this story is intriguing, especially if you have visited the weston, wv state hospital, the book is not well written and very poorly edited. Once known as the weston state hospital, the transallegheny lunatic asylum in weston, west virginia opened its doors to patients in 1864.
The trenton psychiatric hospital, originally the new jersey state lunatic asylum, was founded in 1848 by mental health advocate dorothea lynde dix. It sits on 666 seriously they couldnt have bought one more or less acres of land that was designed to be a completely selfcontained hospital. C onstruction of the weston state hospital kirkbride building, designed by r. Stories from the asylum asylum book, books to read. The first hospital for the insane was built at weston in 1859. Also known as transallegheny lunatic asylum, west virginia hospital for. Dragging it out into two books made it too repetitive. What this weeks proceedings in the matter of the investigation now pending at the hospital for the insane will disclose, is a question concerning which there is much speculation. Although this is a short book it was still a good starting point for those who want. The transallegheny lunatic asylum looks like something out of a. I rolled into weston, west virginia, as the sun began to sink, making the.
One of my relatives, fanny besant shock was a pateint at the weston state hospital, where she died in 1920. This abandoned psychiatric hospital is one of the americas most historic haunted asylums. Built on 269 acres across the west fork river from weston, it was authorized by the virginia legislature in the early 1850s as the transallegheny lunatic asylum. A cultural historian explores an old mental hospital, and why they. A cultural historian explores an old mental hospital, and. Formerly known as the weston state hospital open until nov. At the end of the parks parking lot, there is a path, which wound through heavy woods lucky i brought a flashlight. Transallegheny lunatic asylum, weston, west virginia. There are 2 hospitals in weston, west virginia, serving a population of 4,040 people in an area of 2 square miles. In the early 1850s, a new hospital called the transallegheny lunatic asylum was authorized to be constructed by the virginia general assembly before west virginia became a separate state. Because of overcrowded conditions, it was determined that a second facility was needed. The main building was to be based off the kirkbride plan, using gothic and tudor. In 1892 a wrought iron fence was put around the building and grounds, and in 1902 natural gas was found near the hospital and was immediately hooked up, creating a savings of.
However, those plans fell through and the william r. Commonwealth of massachusetts state hospital and state school system. The history of the building holds fascinating stories of civil war raids, a gold robbery, the curative effects of architecture, and the efforts of. I spent the night in a haunted asylum and i still cant explain what i. See more ideas about insane asylum, asylum and abandoned asylums. Transallegheny lunatic asylum weston, wv the art of. The transallegheny lunatic asylum, subsequently the weston state hospital, was a kirkbride psychiatric hospital that was operated from 1864 until 1994 by the government of the u. Overcrowding, poor conditions, and staff issues had led to a call for the hospital to be closed by 1996, and construction on a new state hospital nearby was already in the works. The weston state hospital, once and again known as the. In 1885, the state legislature began hearings on the need for a second hospital for the insane. The wing tips were constructed as singlestory wards that reached. But even in those years, exposes, novels, and short stories began to cast.
Transallegheny asylum for the insane weston state hospital, weston, west virginia gilchriststalnaker, joy on. Weston woods animates outstanding childrens picture books. The haunted history of the trans allegheny lunatic asylum. Inside haunted spencer state hospital 9781503294349. Snowden andrews, began in 1858 but was stalled by the outbreak of the civil war. At its peak in the 1950s, the hospitals population had almost doubled again, and the building, which by then was known as the weston state hospital, housed as many as 2,600 patientsmore than ten times the number it had been built to accommodate. Gonjiam psychiatric hospital the abandoned hospital whose elaborate ghost stories cover up the dirty truth an uneventful sanitation issue and other mundane reasons for its demise. A guide to the records of western state hospital, 1825.
For decades the weston state hospital was in use, taking in epileptics, alcoholics, drug addicts, and people with mental disorders. Weston state hospital was a major mental institution in weston, west virginia. The dark history of the trenton psychiatric hospital. This 160 year old asylum holds fascinating stories of civil war raids, a gold robbery, the curative effects of. The transallegheny lunatic asylum in weston, west virginia opened its doors to patients in 1864. Weston general hospital, part of the weston area health nhs trust image.