The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum has been deemed as the most haunted hospital in America. This particular hospital has also been referred to as "Weston State Hospital" in the past. Located in the vast country area of Weston, West Virginia this structure housed individuals who experienced mental illnesses of several different types in the middle of the 1800's. In addition to being noted for the role it played in the lives of several individuals who required care and the medical community on the whole, there are a number of true ghost stories circulating about this establishment. Here, I will share with you some of the exciting information about the most haunted hospital in America, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
The History of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The history of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is actually quite long and extensive. This history seems to be quite relevant to the unexplained phenomenon and real ghost stories that circulate today about the facility. The original construction of the building that would serve as a home to several individuals suffering from psychiatric conditions began in the year of 1858. By the year of 1881, construction had been completed. However, despite continuing efforts to construct the building, in the year of 1864, this hospital allowed the first patients to enter.
The hospital was suitable for a number of about two hundred and fifty patients. Unfortunately, as the facility gained popularity, more and more individuals were pushed to reside there. By the 1950's, the hospital had become severely overcrowded with an astonishing number of patients - reaching nearly two thousand, five hundred! Naturally, due to the crowding that was being experienced the care of the patients quickly began to decline. In the year of 1994, it was established that the hospital could not operate any longer. The closure wrecked havoc on the economy of the community in which it resided. To date, the financial loss still burdens the community.
When Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum first opened, it was a direct result of the efforts of a lady by the name of Dorothea Dix. She saw the need for an area where individuals who were considered to be "insane" could be placed so that they were not locked away in prisons with dangerous convicts, and treated with a high disregard. It was her belief that the people plagued with psychiatric illnesses should have rights, and the ability to receive proper care. However, during the 1800's, most people who suffered from diseases of the mind were treated like nothing more than wild animals. In later years, an individual by the name of Thomas Kirkbride would come to agree with the ideas that Dorothea Dix presented, and the approval of the facility would be granted.
The following is a quote that Ms. Dix issued about who she was, and what she wanted to see: "I come as the advocate of helpless, forgotten, insane men and women; of beings sunk to a condition from which the unconcerned world would start with real horror" (Taken from the website for the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum as quoted by Dorothea Dix).
The Hauntings of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Many unexplained events have been witnessed in this hospital. These events are the things that led individuals to develop the theory that it was a haunted hospital. Now, based on all of the encounters that various guests and employees have experienced, this has been deemed as one of the scariest places on Earth! The following details some of the paranormal events and unexplained phenomenon experienced in the most haunted hospital of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum:
1. There have been several hundred individuals who passed away in this haunted hospital. Many people who have visited the asylum believe that the majority of the souls of these people have been left behind. Conversations, noises of people moving about, and other sounds have been heard throughout this facility in order to confirm this.
2. Many people have claimed that they have seen full and partial body apparitions within the walls of this particular most haunted hospital.
3. People who have visited this hospital have captured ghost pictures and ghost videos that indicate that there is a strong presence in the facility - possibly numerous presences.
If you are seeking to uncover the truth behind the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, there are several tours offered. Bring some friends, a camera, and even a video recorder and capture spooks of your own!
To read about more of the most haunted places in America check out Haunted Places To Go!
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