Everyone at Waverly patients, nurses, doctors, and other employees had to say goodbye to everything they knew on the outside world. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium death tunnel in Kentucky has an interesting history, and you can read more about it in our previous article. This list does not included patient data from the geriatric center after inpatient tuberculosis treatment had stopped. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. Now and Always,The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Now and Always, The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus. Doctors and Staff of Waverly Hills Sanatorium / Woodhaven - Tripod The Disturbing True Story Of The Waverly Hills Sanatorium This list is organized by date of death and not by name. From Alabama to Wyoming, there are abandoned towns, amusement parks, and ruins lurking in your home state. Kentuckys Home to the Largest and Most Haunted Victorian Neighborhood in America, The Haunted Spurlington Tunnel In Kentucky Has A Bone-Chilling History, One Of The Most Haunted Cemeteries In Kentucky Is Also The Most Beautiful, Driving Down This Haunted Kentucky Road Will Give You Nightmares, Spend A Night At This Haunted Sanatorium In Kentucky If You Dare, This Haunted Tunnel In Kentucky Is Not For The Faint Of Heart, 11 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned Hospital Hiding In Kentucky, The Story Behind This Evil Place In Kentucky Will Make Your Blood Turn Cold. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.. In 1850, James Stewart wrote of a friend who suffered exquisite pain during almost nine months spent in bed. Its believed that tuberculosis has claimed roughly. The building was designed to accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients safely. It opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients. Originally a heating duct, this tunnel was also used by the staff to climb the hill in bad weather. Haunted tours helped raise money for the restoration project, which will eventually include a bed-and-breakfast. Then, the tuberculosis epidemic began to spread in Jefferson County, and the hospital could not keep up. Fewer than 5% of patients initially survived. Bodies were not dumped but rather carried down the tunnel to the bottom of the hill, where they could be collected by a hearse, as there was no cemetery at the hospital. After the geriatric center closed down, various owners considered turning the building into a number of things, including a jail and. Our objective is to provide a resource and a memorial for all the building and the people whose lives made History In 1849, Ann Beatty wrote to her mother about her attacks of spitting bloodone of the most dreaded symptomsand expressed her fear of developing the disease: Pa says that if I am not very careful he thinks I will have consumption. Consumption was the most common name for pulmonary tuberculosis, the form of the disease that affected the lungs and, per its name, seemed to consume the body as it progressed in stages over many years. The current owners of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium use the derelict space as a haunted attraction, staging horror houses in the fall and running ghost tours the rest of the year. Contributed by Phil Tkacz, Shawn Logan, Jay Gravatte, & Hope Bryant | contact@kyhi.org. What are the most haunted places in Kentucky? Last, a rich variety of records from the early and mid-twentieth centuryincluding pamphlets, photographs, letters, and architectural recordshelp document the history of Waverly Hills Sanatorium from the perspective of administrators and some of the employees and patients who lived there. The Waverly Hills Historical Society continue to work tirelessly and devote their lives to restoring the historic gem that is Waverly Hills to its once amazing splendor! A total of 63,000 people lost their lives up until 1961, the year when the hospital was closed. Estimates vary, and records have been destroyed, but there may have been as many as 64,000 deaths at Waverly Sanatorium. Since then, it has become a popular destination for paranormal investigators. One of the creepier Waverly Hills legends is a room near the morgue dubbed the draining room, where dead bodies were supposedly hung on hooks and cut open top to bottom to rid them of infected fluids. Contributed by Phil Tkacz, Shawn Logan, Jay Gravatte, & Hope Bryant | contact@kyhi.org. This list is organized by date of death and not by name. They added that they heard the painful screams in the morning. With little knowledge of how to fight the illness, the creators of Waverly Hills based their treatment on quarantine, fresh air, and a positive attitude. The only building in Louisville (hopefully) that contains two ancient holy skeletons. Last, a rich variety of records from the early and mid-twentieth centuryincluding pamphlets, photographs, letters, and architectural recordshelp document the history of Waverly Hills Sanatorium from the perspective of administrators and some of the employees and patients who lived there. Unfortunately, the sanatorium's medical records (up to 1935) were destroyed during the Flood of 1937, and subsequent documentation was haphazardly discarded following the hospital's closing . Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, or "the white plague" , had a. Metro Council clears the way for Waverly Hills to become hotel . Director Philip Adrian Booth Writers Christopher Saint Booth The sanatorium was established in the early 20th century to help deal with an outbreak of the then-incurable disease tuberculosis. Many people claimed that the souls of the people who died in the hospital were still wandering in the corridors. He hired a woman named Lizzie Lee Harris to teach at the school. Cemeteries often become the center for ghost stories and spooky tales, and there are several haunted cemeteries in Kentucky youll want to check out if youre in the mood to do a little paranormal investigating. The empty building was purchased by a number of buyers in the following years, but nothing ever saw fruition. It is said that 63,000 people died at Waverly Hills over the years, but that is just what records . The tunnel was the subject of the 2005 movie The Death Tunnel. KEY: S - Submitted NP - Newspaper Article KDR - Kentucky Death Records TB - Waverly Hills Sanatorium G - Woodhaven Geriatrics Center 20 - 1920 Census Report In 1926, the massive building seen today opened its doors to accommodate another 450 beds. All information / names gathered from research and visitors will be added to the The second e was dropped at some point.). 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Copyright 2003, 2004 Construction on the first hospital began in 1908 in a quiet space atop a hill, where it was thought patients would be at peace and receive lots of fresh air (and stay far from crowded areas). This website wouldbe Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Kentucky Historic Institutions The warm, wet weather in Kentucky near the Ohio River was a breeding place for bacteria, and insects often helped to spread disease. Due to the rapid increase of Tuberculosis cases, the original hospital was soon to capacity. Create a website or blog at WordPress.com, Historical Case Studies in Crime & Punishment, Infirmaries and Poorhouses: Image Gallery, Transylvania University Medical Department, University of Louisville Medical Department, Kentucky Institution for Feeble Minded Children, Covington-Kenton County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Madisonville State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Troy Taylor from the American Ghost Society claims, on his website, that he saw the man in the white coat disappear into a treatment room on the 4th floor during his first trip to WHS, shortly after the Mattinglys purchased the property. Another of Todds plans was the refurbishing of the building into apartments, this also feel through due to lack of funding. This company operated the nursing home facility until 1982 when it was closed by the state for violations and the mistreatment of patients. Spooked: The Ghosts of Waverly Hillsis a horror film about events that took place in thehospital. Create a website or blog at WordPress.com, Historical Case Studies in Crime & Punishment, Infirmaries and Poorhouses: Image Gallery, Transylvania University Medical Department, University of Louisville Medical Department, Kentucky Institution for Feeble Minded Children, Covington-Kenton County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Madisonville State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, or "the white plague", had a high mortality rate before streptomycin was introduced as a treatment in 1943. A private tour of the death tunnel is available by appointment. this website are the property of their respective owners or Waverly Hills Memorial & Historical Research Groupand Construction on the second hospital was underway in March 1924. for all the names listed and to be listed. These include nineteenth-century correspondence, diaries, and medical publications in which Kentuckians wrote of debilitating symptoms and possible treatments. Ms Harris had a fondness for author Walter Scotts Waverley novels, and she received Hays permission to name the schoolhouse the Waverley School. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. 10 Horrifying Stories From The Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Ranker Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. There is an underground tunnel from the sanatorium to the bottom of the hill. Project MUSE - Documenting a Deadly Disease: Tuberculosis and Waverly Since then, theyve worked with the Waverly Hills preservation society to restore the building. Construction on this building began in 1908 and opened for business on July 26, 1910. One report from a paranormal investigation group noted that six members saw what they claim looked like a young girls shadow that was completely opaque. During its time as a hospital, Waverly Hills would sadly see many deaths. Nestled in the Ohio Valley, Louisville doesnt get a proper amount of fresh air flow. Thank you! The massive structure looms large in the history of tuberculosis in Louisville, but it was not the only means of combating the citys high rates of the disease. Over the following years the population of Waverly began to decrease until it closed in June 1961. They focused less on the tunnel and more on a college kid storyline, highlighted with a little bit of history. The sanitorium opened in the midst of a widespread epidemic It was within this devastating context that the Waverly Hills Sanitorium first opened its doors on July 26, 1910, as a two-story wooden structure built to house about 50 patients. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium Body Chute in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the most haunted places in the United States. Edward A. Arthur Waverly Hills photograph collection, 019PC9, Filson Historical Society. The tunnel itself was originally 525 feet long and ran out to the bottom of the hill. It was two stories tall and had only enough space for 40 patients in early stages of TB. It was the workers that would be detached to gather the bodies of the dead and either burn, bury, or transport them elsewhere. The Historical Society and the family that owns the property hold fundraising events throughout the year. Public health advocates managed the Free Tuberculosis Dispensary on West Chestnut Street, hired a corps of traveling nurses, sponsored educational campaigns, and supported anti-spitting laws. (The myth was further spread by Tina. Some time before the property was purchased in 2001, a story circulated about a group of teenage boys who snuck into the sanatorium. The land that the Waverly Hills Sanatorium sits on was purchased by a wealthy military man, Major Thomas H. Hays, in 1883. This is an active project so check back often for updates. mentioned or used within The first phase of the development, coming in at a cost of $4 million, would have been a constructing the 150 foot tell statue, to be situated on the roof of the sanatorium. Trellix. Powered by www.tripod.com & The TV show Ghost Hunters did a program on Waverly Hills in March of 2006. Important note:If you would like to use any information on this website (including text, bios, photos andany other information) we encourage you to contact us. Frank J. Stewart served as the assistant medical director and as a physician at the sanatorium up until the 1950s. The story goes that Lizzie Lee Harris loved Sir Walter Scotts series, The Waverley Novels -- more than, Hays reportedly like the name and so named all of his land Waverley Hill. After World War II, the need for a TB sanatorium waned until the hospital closed in 1961. The 1920 & 1930 census reports were all hand written. Room 502 has a reputation due to the two suicides that supposedly occurred there. Louisville, KY, is home to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, which many people believe is one of the most haunted places on Earth. About - Waverly Hills Sanatorium The path towards the light connected to the main building via a railway system on the first floor of the original hospital. The legend of Louisville's haunted hospital: Waverly Hills Sanatorium What are the creepiest cemeteries in Kentucky? In 1873, Agatha Logan Marshall wrote matter-of-factly to her brother-in-law Thomas W. Bullitt about her recent diagnosis of consumption and her concerns about her future well-being and economic security: Dr Bush made an examination of my lungs and told me they were very seriously involveda fact I have known all alongof course I am in no immediate danger for consumption is a lingering disease but I have no hope or expectation of ever being well again and I am very anxious if possible to have my little prosperity so it will yield me an income. Marshall aptly characterized consumption as a lingering disease, one in which symptoms could come and go and progress slowly over years. We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. Neither story is documented, but neither is completely discounted. Another theory is that Mary got pregnant by one of the doctors, and when he tried to perform an abortion, she died, and the suicide was staged. Waverly Hills Memorial * followed by year - Died at WHS/WGC in that year, Copyright 2003, 2004 Movies were shown and crafts were made to keep patients in high spirits. Every state in the country has its fair share of haunted locations, and Kentucky is no different.