Mental illness has been a part of human history for centuries, but the way we’ve treated those who suffer from it has evolved significantly over time. In ancient times, people recognized the existence of mental health conditions and tried to explain them through supernatural or mystical means.
Throughout the middle ages, mental illness treatment was typically centered around demonology, where abnormal behavior was thought to be caused by supernatural forces like demonic possession or witchcraft.
By the 18th century, people who were seen as strange or abnormal were confined to asylums where they were subjected to inhumane treatment. These individuals were frequently kept in dark, underground cells, were physically abused, and restrained with chains, with limited access to caregivers.
Going into more modern times, even the American asylums, which were built with good intent for healing and compassionate care fell to horrific practices and extreme overcrowding.
Early Forms of Mental Health “Treatment”
So, let’s go back.. And I mean way back to ancient times.
During that time, mental health theories were often intertwined with supernatural beliefs. Symptoms such as demonic possessions, curses, sorcery or divine punishment were commonly treated through a procedure called trephining. This involves using basic stone tools to bore a hole into the skull. These stone tools were eventually upgraded to skull saws and drills that were developed specifically for this procedure.
In less violent cases, priest doctors would conduct rituals rooted in different religions and superstitions as they believed that possession was the cause of these mental disturbances. These rituals included prayer, atonement, incantations and exorcisms.
Many ancient cultures attributed mental illness to supernatural forces, often perceiving it as a punishment from a deity. However, the ideas around mental illness progressed with the influence of early European philosophers. Around the 5th to the 3rd centuries BCE, Hippocrates, a Greek physician, rejected the notion that mental instability was the result of supernatural punishment and instead believed it to be a result of natural causes in the body, particularly the brain.
In addition to Hippocrates, two other Greek thinkers, Galen and Socrates, believed that the human body was composed of four fundamental elements: blood, bile, black bile, and phlegm. They believed that the balance of these “humors” determined an individual’s personality and unique traits and that mental illness could result from an imbalance of these humors.
To balance the humors, doctors during that period used a variety of treatments such as administering laxatives, emetics to induce vomiting, leech therapy and cupping therapy. Various recipes, such as those containing aloes, black hellebore, and colocynth, were used to treat depression. Tobacco from the Americas was also used to make patients vomit and expel excess humors. Some treatments even involved bloodletting by extracting blood from the forehead and tapping veins to release the guilty humors from the brain.
There were also some less invasive treatments… specialized diets were prescribed, such as a diet of salad greens, barley water, and milk for “raving madmen”, who were also advised to avoid red wine and meat.
Traditionally, the responsibility of caring for mentally ill patients fell on their families, and professional care facilities were rare until the establishment of the first mental hospital in Baghdad in 792 CE. In Europe, however, it was a common source of shame and humiliation for families to have custody of mentally ill patients. Consequently, many resorted to hiding their loved ones in cellars, caging them, delegating them to servants, or even abandoning them to become beggars on the streets. In some cases, mentally ill individuals were even subject to physical punishment as a form of reprisal for their disruptive behavior, or in an attempt to "beat the illness" out of them.
At least it wasn’t all bad though, in 872, the Emir of Egypt and Syria at the time constructed a hospital in Cairo that catered to the needs of the mentally ill. The hospital's treatments included music therapy.
During the medieval period, treatment options for mentally ill individuals were limited, with most of the burden falling on their families to care for them. However, for those whose families were unable to provide adequate care, there were a few options available. One of these was the workhouse, which was essentially a public institution where the poorest people in a church parish were given basic room and board in exchange for work. While not specifically intended for mentally ill patients, workhouses did provide a basic level of care for those who had nowhere else to go.
Another option was to admit the patient to a general hospital, but these institutions were often overcrowded and understaffed, which meant that mentally ill patients were frequently abandoned and ignored. In many cases, they were simply locked away in a room and left to their own devices.
Clergy in various churches also played a role in the treatment of mentally ill individuals, as some medical practices were considered an extension of priests' duty. For those who could afford it, private homes run by members of the clergy provided a more specialized level of care and comfort.
In countries with majority Catholic populations, mental health facilities were often staffed by members of the clergy, while in Russia, Orthodox monasteries housed most of the nation's mentally ill until the rise of asylums. However, these facilities were unable to keep up with the growing demand for mental health treatment. This paved the way for the development of the infamous asylums.
These institutions functioned more like prisons than treatment centers, and in some cases, they were even more brutal than actual prisons. The idea of providing proper care and support for mentally ill individuals was not present, and instead, the main goal was to isolate them from their families and the rest of society, with the aim of reducing the potential harm they could cause to their communities.
Moving on through history, during the 19th century, psychiatry which was then referred to as alienism, experienced a period of development. This coincided with the establishment of institutions aimed at providing medical treatment and accommodation for those who were deemed "insane." The treatments offered during this period included pseudoscientific methods such as phrenology and freezing baths.
Between 1850-1900, women who expressed strong opinions and refused to conform to the expectations of a male-dominated society were sometimes institutionalized. This was often done by their male relatives, such as husbands, fathers, or brothers, who had complete control over their financial and personal affairs. Additionally, the lack of property rights for married women prior to the Married Women's Property Act of 1882 gave men a financial incentive to institutionalize their wives, as all of a wife's assets automatically became her husband's property. By labeling these women as mentally ill, the men in charge could easily silence their voices and assert their dominance, leaving the women powerless and submissive.
State asylums were first established in the United States with the passing of the initial law for one in New York in 1842. The Utica State Hospital was established around 1850, as were numerous other hospitals that were largely the result of the tireless work of Dorothea Lynde Dix. Dix's philanthropic efforts were felt across multiple states, as well as in Europe, stretching as far as Constantinople. Many state hospitals across the United States were built during the 1850s and 1860s based on the Kirkbride Plan, an architectural style intended to have a therapeutic effect.
While a lot of the practices happening at this time could be considered inhumane and disgusting, at Montrose Asylum, William Browne pioneered various therapeutic activities for patients, such as writing, art, group activities, and drama. He is recognized for his early work in occupational therapy and art therapy. He even initiated one of the earliest collections of artistic works by patients. William Browne played a significant role in reforming the lunatic asylum during the mid-19th century. He was also an advocate of phrenology, which was considered a new "science" at the time.
Phrenology is a pseudoscientific theory that was popular in the 19th century. It claimed that an individual's character and mental abilities could be determined by the shape and size of their skull. Practitioners of phrenology believed that the brain was divided into different regions, and each region was responsible for specific personality traits or mental abilities. Phrenology has since been discredited and is no longer considered a valid scientific theory.
In 1887, journalist Nellie Bly, real name Elizabeth Seaman, faked her insanity to gain admission into New York's Blackwell Island asylum.
Elizabeth is also known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days. She traveled alone for the majority of the time. In 1887!
Bly faced a number of difficulties in getting admitted to the asylum. She first checked herself into a boarding house called "Temporary Homes for Females" where she stayed up all night to appear distressed. She then accused other boarders of being insane and refused to sleep. This frightened the other boarders, leading the police to take her to court where she was examined by a police officer, a judge, and a doctor before being admitted to Blackwell's Island Asylum.
During her stay, Bly witnessed the terrible conditions at the asylum, prompting her to write a report that was published in 1887 as "Ten Days in a Mad-House" and later turned into a book. This report caused a sensation and led to reforms in the asylum. Bly's impact on American culture and her focus on marginalized women beyond the asylum brought her lasting fame and established her as a pioneer of stunt journalism.
Later, in 1893, Bly leveraged her celebrity status to secure an interview with Lizzie Halliday, a notorious serial killer who was believed to be insane.
Towards the end of the 19th century, most industrialized countries had established national systems of regulated asylums for the mentally ill. In Britain and France, the number of patients in asylums rose from a few hundred at the turn of the century to hundreds of thousands by the end of the century. The United States had 150,000 patients in mental hospitals by 1904, and Germany had over 400 public and private sector asylums.
Despite the optimism in the mid-19th century that mental illness could be effectively treated, this hope was not realized. In fact, psychiatrists faced mounting pressure from an increasing number of patients, leading to a surge in asylum populations in the United States, Britain, and Germany by up to 927%. France also experienced overcrowding, with asylums taking in twice their maximum capacity. The reasons for the surge in patient numbers remain disputed, but it may have been due to the transfer of care from families and poorhouses. As a result of the strain on asylums, their reputation declined, and many reverted to being custodial institutions.
During the 1800s, middle-class facilities replaced private care for wealthier individuals. However, these facilities were often oversubscribed, and admission was usually reserved for dangerous or violent cases referred by the community or the criminal justice system. Defining someone as insane was necessary for admission, and a doctor was only called after an individual was labeled insane on social terms and had become socially or economically problematic. Until the 1890s, there was little distinction between the lunatic and criminal lunatic, with the term often used to police vagrancy as well as beggars and the insane.
During the late 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, psychiatric medicine underwent an experimental period that questioned the conventional approach of treating chronic psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia in asylums, which were thought to be incurable. In 1920, deep sleep therapy utilizing barbiturates was introduced, followed by insulin shock therapy in 1933 and cardiazol shock therapy in 1934. Electroconvulsive therapy, developed in 1938, eventually replaced these.
Psychosurgery, such as lobotomy, was reserved for a limited number of individuals with specific conditions. Egas Moniz performed the first frontal lobotomy in Portugal in 1935. This procedure was later adapted by Walter Freeman and James Watts, also known as the Freeman-Watts procedure or standard prefrontal lobotomy. Freeman developed the transorbital lobotomy in 1946, which could be performed in an office in as little as fifteen minutes. He is credited with popularizing the technique in the United States, with 5,074 lobotomies carried out in the country in 1949 and 18,608 by 1951. However, the procedure was controversial and led to intellectual disability in many patients, including Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of John F. Kennedy.
In the early 1900s, there was a notable increase in the number of individuals being admitted to asylums, leading to severe overcrowding. Funding cuts during economic recessions and wartime periods caused patients to die from starvation, and asylums became infamous for their appalling living conditions, lack of hygiene, overcrowding, and mistreatment and abuse of patients.
The eugenics movement, which aimed to "breed out defects" and isolate people with disabilities to prevent procreation, gained significant influence between the two world wars. In Britain, Charles Darwin's son lobbied for the government to arrest and segregate those deemed "unfit" or sterilize them. In Germany, medical professionals and lawyers advocated for the extermination of people with disabilities, with the essay "Permitting the Destruction of Life Unworthy of Life" serving as a blueprint for the Nazis' future atrocities.
In 1939, the Nazi regime began "Aktion T4," which transformed psychiatric institutions into killing centers for children and adults with disabilities. Midwives were forced to report babies born with disabilities, and parents were coerced into placing their children in institutions, which were then turned into centers of extermination. Over 5,000 children and 200,000 disabled adults were killed.
These heinous crimes served as one of the catalysts for a shift away from institutionalized approaches to mental health and disability in the second half of the 20th century.
Although community-based alternatives were suggested in the 1920s and 1930s, the number of admissions to asylums continued to rise until the 1950s. The movement towards deinstitutionalization gained momentum in various Western countries during the 1950s and 1960s, but the pace and timing of reforms varied by country and public arguments differed.
Class action lawsuits in the United States and disability activism, along with scrutiny of institutions by antipsychiatry movements, helped shed light on the poor conditions and treatment of patients. Sociologists and others argued that institutions fostered dependency, passivity, exclusion, and disability, leading to institutionalization.
Some suggested that community services would be more cost-effective, and the development of new psychiatric medications made it more practical to release individuals into the community. However, there were differing opinions on deinstitutionalization among mental health professionals, public officials, families, advocacy groups, public citizens, and unions.
Deinstitutionalization
In the late 20th century, deinstitutionalization led to the closure of many psychiatric hospitals. This became known as the process of substituting long-stay psychiatric hospitals with more integrated community-based mental health services for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities.
This movement gained momentum in the 1960s, with the introduction of antipsychotic drugs playing a significant role in enabling this movement. However, it was the social movements that pushed for reforms during this period that truly spurred the movement forward.
In conclusion, the 20th century saw the beginning of the deinstitutionalization movement, which aimed to replace long-term psychiatric hospitals with community-based mental health services. This movement was driven by social and political changes, as well as medical advancements such as the development of antipsychotic drugs. As a result, community services like family support, community residences, and mental health offices were established to facilitate the transition toward community-based systems. Today, these services have become integral to the mental health care system, providing diverse forms of support and care for individuals with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. Despite their widespread use, it is important to recognize the historical significance of the deinstitutionalization movement and the efforts made to provide more humane and effective care for those in need.
Asylums, in the traditional sense of the term, no longer exist in many parts of the world due to the deinstitutionalization movement. However, mental health institutions still play a role in treating individuals with mental illnesses. As for tourism, some former asylums have been repurposed into tourist attractions, with visitors able to tour the facilities and learn about the history of mental health treatment.
Today, haunted asylums have become a popular destination due to the combination of their already eerie atmosphere and the supernatural concept of ghosts. These places have become a hot spot for ghost hunters and thrill-seekers looking for spine-tingling experiences. The allure of these places can be seen as a reflection of society's fascination with the morbid and mysterious.
While the history of asylums is filled with tragedy and darkness, the modern-day fascination with haunted asylums reflects society's continued interest in the unexplained and mysterious. However, it is important to remember the very real suffering that took place within these institutions and to approach their history with respect.
Keeping that in perspective, let’s delve into the dark history of two asylums, both notorious for their grim past.
Huntington State Hospital
The Huntington State Hospital in West Virginia was established in 1897 as the second mental health facility in the state. It was originally known as the Home for Incurables and later as the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane before becoming the Huntington State Hospital in 1919.
During that time period, mental hospitals were primarily seen as custodial care facilities, where individuals with mental illnesses could be segregated from society.
Initially, the hospital was established to offer care for patients with persistent mental disorders, including schizophrenia, who could not be cared for at home or in smaller institutions. The hospital's early treatment approaches involved restraining and isolating patients, as well as administering therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy.
Over the years, the hospital expanded its services to include substance abuse treatment and care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The hospital occupied 30 acres of land that were donated by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. The grounds were surrounded by a high wire fence, iron gates and a gatehouse giving it more of a penitentiary look than a hospital look.
In 1901, the hospital's name was changed to the West Virginia Asylum. At that time, there were 150 patients there.
In 1916, the name was changed again to Huntington State Hospital.
Throughout these years, the mistreatment of patients did not improve. During the 1920s and 1930s, patients at the Huntington State Hospital in West Virginia were subjected to various forms of mistreatment. The hospital was overcrowded, and patients were often restrained for long periods of time, sometimes even months or years.
Shock treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy, were commonly used, even though their efficacy and safety were not well understood at the time. In addition, patients were forced to perform labor in the hospital's farm and laundry facilities without proper compensation or regard for their physical and mental well-being.
Patients also suffered from inadequate nutrition and unsanitary living conditions, which often led to the spread of disease and further deterioration of their health. These conditions persisted for decades, and it was not until the advent of deinstitutionalization and the closure of the hospital that patients were able to receive proper care and treatment in more modern facilities.
So, it wasn’t until recently that we learned, one of our family members was admitted to this hospital around this time.
According to our grandmother, her uncle Joseph was admitted to the Huntington State Hospital due to a mental disability. Upon his arrival, her grandmother left him with a new set of clothes, but when she visited him later, she was shocked to find him in rags, looking disheveled and obviously abused and neglected. Sadly, our gram also revealed that Joe had also passed away at the hospital in 1947.
1952 Fire
On November 26, 1952, the evening before Thanksgiving, a fire broke out in a basement boiler room of ward 4 which housed women and children. The building was brick, but the fire quickly spread to the first floor. The fire captain, Harry Damron, managed to help 35-40 children from the third floor, but the fire had quickly taken over. In the midst of the chaos, Gene Wheeler, a 28-year-old firefighter had found a 7-year-old girl tied to her bed, unable to escape the burning building. The young firefighter was able to untie and free the girl. Fourteen patients were killed in the fire, 9 women and 5 girls. Three more had died after the tragedy, succumbing to their injuries. Being a mental hospital, the ward was designed to keep patients locked in, with little regard to safety precautions and emergency protocols and evacuation routes.
Although no official determination was made regarding the cause of the fire, there have been rumors suggesting that it was ignited by a cigarette that was carelessly thrown away.
Around the time of the fire, the hospital was designed to hold 500 patients but was home to nearly 1,800. With only a handful of trained nurses and doctors, the staff was severely short-handed. At this point, the hospital was poorly staffed and poorly maintained and the building itself was not safe.
Despite new construction and other sporadic improvements, conditions at the hospital remained a subject of concern until the 1970s when the patient population began to decline due to deinstitutionalization.
Overcrowding in the 1950s
Like many mental health facilities across the country, the Huntington State Hospital faced challenges in the latter part of the 20th century. Budget cuts and changes in mental health policy led to a decline in the quality of care at the hospital.
In the 1950s, the hospital came under heavy scrutiny due to a number of problems. As we mentioned, it was often understaffed and overcrowded. In addition to this, there was a lack of sanitary protocols and modern equipment and facilities. One of our sources claims that two members of staff would often be assigned to care for and watch over 80 patients at a time. It doesn’t even end there, patients were separated not by diagnosis or mental state, but only by gender. And there are reports that for some time the children’s ward was only accessible by a steep, metal-twisting staircase.
A vocational rehabilitation center was founded in July 1958 which was the first of its kind in the country to be established on the same premises as a state hospital. This center provided vocational, psychological, social, medical, and other services that were necessary for patients to prepare themselves for reintegration into community life.
The physical structure of the hospital also underwent changes during its operation. The wire fence and iron gates, which gave the hospital a prison-like appearance, were removed in 1950. Additionally, the gatehouse at the entrance was removed in 1961. Despite the removal of these physical barriers, the hospital's reputation as a place of confinement and suffering persisted.
In the 1950s the hospital was approximately one-third developmentally disabled and one-third geriatric.
The deinstitutionalization movement that gained momentum in the 1960s had a significant impact on the Huntington State Hospital in West Virginia. As the focus shifted towards community-based care, the hospital's patient population began to decline. In 1994, the hospital closed its doors, and the remaining patients were transferred to other facilities. The closure of the hospital was not without controversy, as some felt that the community-based care system was not adequately equipped to handle the needs of those with mental illness.
The effort to decrease the number of inpatient beds was successfully carried out in 1990, when the long-term mentally ill patients who were hospitalized in the units in Building 3 were discharged and the facility was reduced to only 90 beds.
In 1986, a consent decree was entered that mandated improvements in patient care and the physical plant.
In 1995, the hospital’s name was yet again changed to Huntington Hospital.
Starting in 1997, the hospital underwent a comprehensive reorganization that focused on specializing in direct care services.
In 1999, during the facility’s centennial celebration, the governor at the time changed the name again. This time to Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital. Dedicated to Dr. Mitchell-Bateman’s lifetime career of helping people with mental illness.
Today, it is a 90-bed psychiatric hospital and is administered by the Department of Health and Human Resources. There are twelve buildings on the property. The hospital also provides on-site learning experiences for physicians, nurses, practical nurses, psychologists, counselors, health care administrators, technicians and supportive service personnel.
Haunting Present
Today, the hospital continues to serve the mental health needs of West Virginia and the surrounding region. It has also become a landmark in the community, with its iconic main building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Unfortunately, the dark energy surrounding the hospital did not end with the final name change. On December 28, 2017, state police began investigating the sudden death of a patient at the hospital. According to Sgt. Robert Perry, the patient's death occurred after an altercation .between two hospital employees and the patient, following which the man became unresponsive and was subsequently transported to another hospital via ambulance. Family members identified the patient as 29-year-old Matthew Allen Pike. His mother believes that the hospital employees are to blame. She stated “In my honest opinion, the hospital employees killed him”. She also explained that her son was autistic and had the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. She had last talked to her son around 5 pm that evening and around 8 pm, got a call informing her that Matthew could not breathe. By the time she made it to the hospital, he had passed. When she saw him, she immediately noticed that he had marks on his face. “I just want them to pay for what they did to my son, I want justice”.
This was one major incident that hit the news, but we also found stories of other patients and visitors witnessing and experiencing similar abuse at the hospital. Will Parsons, for example, had a brother named Michael at the hospital who had been beaten by staff several times. Will stated, “He lost 20 pounds in 10 days because of the stress he has been under.” According to Will, the extreme weight loss started after an employee choked his brother. Will also stated,“It's such a closed-mouth culture that they've built, nobody will investigate. Patients get beat up in there and I have personally called the police twice. They say it's out of their jurisdiction".
It is believed today that many unfortunate souls still walk the hallways and wards of the hospital.
Numerous reports of apparitions have been documented by the staff members, including a man who is frequently spotted entering room 306, a woman wearing striking red shoes walking towards the former morgue, and a shadowy figure swinging in the same spot where a patient had taken his own life. The kitchen area has also been a site of shadowy figures, and doors have been reported to shut by themselves. Additionally, the hospital is situated across from Spring Hill Cemetery, where it is believed that the pauper section houses the unfortunate souls of patients who died without family members claiming their remains, adding to the overall haunting atmosphere of the area.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The next psychiatric hospital we'll explore is the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, also known as the Weston State Hospital. This government-operated institution, located in Weston, WV, provided care for patients from 1864 until its closure in 1994. The Virginia General Assembly initially authorized the asylum's construction in the early 1850s under the name Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Baltimore architect Richard Snowden Andrews drew inspiration from Gothic and Tudor Revival styles for the hospital's design, which followed the famous "Kirkbride Plan" for mental asylum construction. Building began in 1858 and took over 20 years to complete.
The Kirkbride Plan was a revolutionary architectural design for mental asylums developed in the mid-19th century by psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride. The idea behind the Kirkbride Plan was to create a therapeutic environment for patients with mental illnesses, emphasizing natural light, fresh air, and green spaces. The asylum buildings were designed to be grand, almost luxurious structures with long, sweeping wings that allowed for maximum exposure to sunlight and views of the surrounding landscapes. This was meant to create a sense of peace and tranquility for the patients, and it was believed that the grandeur of the buildings would be calming and uplifting for them. The design also incorporated a central administrative building, allowing for more efficient management of the hospital.
Construction work was originally conducted by prison laborers, but skilled stonemasons from Germany and Ireland were later brought on.
Initially, the hospital was built with the capacity to accommodate 250 individuals; however, by the 1950s, it was severely overcrowded, with a staggering population of 2,400 patients.
Civil War Interruption
In 1861, the construction of the hospital was interrupted due to the onset of the civil war. Following Virginia's secession from the United States, the Virginia government requested the return of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum's unused construction funds to aid in their defense efforts. However, the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry took hold of the funds from a nearby bank and transported them to Wheeling before the Virginia government could acquire them.
The funds were then used to support the establishment of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, which aligned with the Union during the Civil War. In 1862, The Reorganized Government allocated money to resume the hospital’s construction.
After the admission of West Virginia as a state in 1863, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was renamed to the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane. Patients were first admitted in October of 1864, though construction continued for nearly two decades, ending in 1881. The hospital's central clock tower, which stood 200 feet tall, was completed in 1871. Its primary structure is among the largest masonry buildings in the US and is known to be the world's second-largest hand-cut sandstone building, with only the Moscow Kremlin being larger. Built to be self-sufficient, the hospital occupied a 666-acre land and included a farm, dairy, waterworks, and a cemetery.
The asylum admitted patients for various reasons such as asthma, laziness, egotism, domestic troubles, and even greediness, resulting in an excessive number of patients. As a result, the asylum faced a scarcity of staff and beds. By 1880, the 250-capacity hospital was housing 717 patients.
The 20th Century
In 1913, its name was changed once again to Weston State Hospital.
In 1938, the hospital accommodated 1,661 patients, and by 1949, the number rose to 1,800. In the 1950s, the hospital reached its peak with 2,600 patients. It was evident that the hospital was struggling with overcrowding issues. To make room for the overwhelming number of patients, rooms that were originally intended for one person were forced to house four to five patients at once.
In 1938, a group of North American medical organizations assembled a survey committee that produced a report on the hospital. The report revealed that the hospital had a population that included "epileptics, alcoholics, drug addicts and non-educable mental defectives". In 1949, The Charleston Gazette conducted a series of reports on the hospital and found that a large part of the complex lacked proper sanitation and had insufficient furniture, lighting, and heating. However, one wing of the hospital was found to be comparatively luxurious. This wing had been rebuilt using Works Progress Administration funds following a 1935 fire that had been started by a patient.
Unfortunately, inadequate care and limited access to sanitation resulted in a significant number of fatalities at the asylum. Although there is no official count of patients who died in the facility, historians have approximated the figure to be between 400 and 500.
Home of the West Virginia Lobotomy Project
During the early 1950s, the Weston State Hospital became the center for the West Virginia Lobotomy Project, a controversial initiative aimed at reducing the number of patients due to overcrowding. This project was established through a collaboration between the state and Walter Freeman, a well-known psychiatrist and the pioneer of the lobotomy procedure.
The procedure involved the surgical removal or destruction of brain tissue to treat severe mental illnesses, with the goal of making patients more manageable and easier to care for. Freeman, who had popularized the procedure and performed thousands of lobotomies throughout the US, saw it as a viable solution to the hospital's overcrowding problem.
The West Virginia Lobotomy Project resulted in the lobotomization of hundreds of patients, with some reports suggesting that as many as 228 patients underwent the procedure at Weston State Hospital alone. While some patients did experience relief from their symptoms, the procedure was largely considered barbaric and ineffective, with many patients experiencing serious and sometimes permanent side effects, such as loss of cognitive function, emotional numbness, and even death.
In addition to the ethical concerns surrounding the procedure, the West Virginia Lobotomy Project was also criticized for its lack of proper oversight and inadequate documentation of patients' conditions before and after the procedure. Despite these criticisms, the project continued for several years before eventually falling out of favor in the mid-20th century.
Ward F
Ward F at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was known as the most violent and dangerous section of the hospital. It was used to house the most violent and aggressive patients, including those with severe mental illnesses and criminal histories. The ward was located on the top floor of the main building, which made it difficult to escape.
Patients in Ward F were often subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, including being tied to their beds or chained to the walls. Some reports even suggest that patients were subjected to shock therapy and lobotomies without their consent or proper anesthesia.
Over the years, Ward F has become known for its paranormal activity, with many visitors claiming to have experienced unexplainable events such as ghostly apparitions, strange noises, and feelings of being watched. As a result, it has become a popular destination for ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts.
Lily’s Room
The story of Lilly has varying details, but some people claim to still feel or see her presence in the main building of the Asylum. According to the tale, Lilly was the name given to a child born to a patient at the hospital in 1863. The patient, Gladys, was allegedly a casualty of the American Civil War who had been abandoned by her husband and abused by roaming soldiers. Gladys was admitted to the asylum, where she became pregnant and was left abandoned.
Today, visitors to the asylum can tour the building and view Lilly's room. The room is a small, space with peeling wallpaper and a single bed. Many people report feeling a sense of unease or a presence in the room, and some even claim to have seen Lilly's ghostly apparition. However, it's important to note that the story of Lilly's room has been widely debated and many details remain unclear. Some experts believe that the story of Lilly may have been fabricated for dramatic effect or as a marketing ploy for the asylum's tourist industry. Regardless of the truth of the legend, Lilly's room remains a popular and eerie destination for those interested in the history of the asylum and the treatment of mental illness in the early 20th century.
Horrifying End to the Weston State Hospital
By the 1900s, the hospital had witnessed changes in the treatment of mental illness, resulting in a reduction in the number of patients.
In February 1986, then Governor Arch Moore announced plans to relocate the hospital and build a new facility in another location, with the intention of converting the Weston State Hospital into a prison. As a result, the William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital was constructed in Weston to replace the old hospital. The Weston State Hospital was closed down in May 1994, without much consideration of its historical significance or the potential for its preservation as a landmark.
The hospital along with the grounds it sits on have been for the most part vacant. Throughout the years, there have been local events, fairs, church revivals and tours. The hospital was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.
In 1999, following the abandonment of the hospital, a group of city and county police officers playing paintball caused damage to all four floors of the interior building, leading to the dismissal of three officers involved in the incident.
Today
In 2000, the Weston Hospital Revitalization Committee was formed. This was part of an effort to reuse the building. There were proposals for it to be converted into a Civil War Museum and a hotel and golf complex. The Revitalization Committee’s purpose was to aid in the preservation of the building and to find appropriate tenants for it.
In 2004, three small museums were opened on the first floor of the main building. One was devoted to military history, one to toys, and the third to mental health, but due to fire code violations, all three were forced to close down soon after opening.
In August 2007, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources put the hospital up for auction. The winning bidder was Joe Jordan, a contractor from Morgantown, who purchased the 242,000-square-foot building for $1.5 million. The bidding had started at $500,000. Since then, Jordan has started working on maintenance projects on the grounds of the former hospital. In October 2007, a Fall Fest was held at the Weston State Hospital, offering guided historic and paranormal daytime tours, as well as evening ghost hunts and paranormal tours.
The Kirkbride building, the main structure of the asylum, features a museum on its first floor, which houses a collection of paintings, poems, and drawings created by patients in the art therapy programs. Additionally, there is a dedicated room displaying various medical treatments and restraints used in the past, and visitors can observe artifacts like a straitjacket and hydrotherapy tub. Tour guides dress in 19th-century nurse attire, complete with a blue dress, white apron, white cap, and white shoes. Visitors have the option to take a shorter historical tour, which covers only the first floor of the Kirkbride, or a longer historical tour, which includes all four floors, staff apartments, the morgue, and the operating room. In addition to the historical tours, two paranormal tours are available, both of which begin at sunset. The shorter tour lasts around two to three hours, while the longer tour is an overnight experience and can be booked for a private tour.
Pop Culture
Several pop culture references have featured the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The former facility has been highlighted as a haunted location on various paranormal television shows, including Ghost Stories, Syfy's Ghost Hunters, Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, and Paranormal Lockdown on Destination America/TLC. It has also been featured in Portals To Hell, Travel Channel's Destination Fear, and Conjuring Kesha.
Additionally, the facility appears in Bethesda Game Studios' 2018 video game Fallout 76, where it is referred to as "Fort Defiance" and serves as a base for The Brotherhood of Steel, one of the game's main factions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the history of insane asylums is a dark and unsettling part of our past. As we've seen, the Huntington State Hospital and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum are just two examples of the many institutions that were established to house and segregate those deemed "insane" by society. While these institutions have long since been closed down and replaced by modern mental health facilities, their haunted pasts continue to attract tourists and ghost hunters alike. From reports of apparitions to eerie sounds and slamming doors, these places continue to stir the imagination and give us a glimpse into a darker time in our history. Despite the discomfort and unease that comes with exploring these sites, their popularity shows no signs of waning, as people continue to seek out the spine-tingling thrills that only a haunted asylum can provide.
Source Material
https://www.psychology.org.nz/journal-archive/NZJP-Vol141-1985-1-Kemp.pdf
https://sunrisehouse.com/addiction-info/history-evolution-mental-health-treatment/
https://asylumsprojects.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/huntington-hospital-aka-home-for-incurables-wv/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Allegheny_Lunatic_Asylum
https://abandonedonline.net/location/trans-allegheny-lunatic-asylum/
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