The Real Story of The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The Virginia General Assembly approved. Allegheny Lunatic asylum Construction dot a pre approved tract of property along the West Fork River in Virginia was purchased by an appointed board of directors. Prison workers started construction in late 1858 dot most of the construction materials. Including blue sandstone from Mt Claire, West Virginia, were found locally and professional German and Irish stone Masons were hired dot the Civil War halted construction in 1861.

The government sought the hospitals leftover construction money for defense when Virginia seceded. The 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry took the money from a local bank and sent it to Wheeling. Before this could happen, dot the restored administration of Virginia. A Unionist Virginian administration would spend this money dot these money were a start up treasury for a future Union state.

This Treasury funded hospital building in 1862 dot the grounds and structures were frequently occupied by Union and Confederate forces, and Confederate Raiders stole building materials during development. After West Virginia became a state in 1863.

The facility became the West Virginia facility for the Insane. Early patients were admitted in October 1864, but development lasted until 1881. The 200 foot central clock tower in black chambers were constructed in 1871 and 1873, respectively. A farm, dairy, Water Works and cemetery were on the hospital grounds to make it self-sufficient dot asthma. Sloth, egotism, family problems and greediness were criteria for asylum admission back then.

An overwhelming number of patients were admitted leaving the facility short on personnel in beds. A gas well was dug on hospital premises in 1902 dot the name was changed again in 1913 to Western State Hospital dot the hospital. Originally planned to handle 250 patients alone, hosted 717 in 1800 and 81,661 in 1938 / 1800 and 1949. In 2006. In the 1950s, an overcrowded circumstance.

The facility had epileptics, Alcoholics, drug addicts and non educable mental defectives, according to a 1938 survey commissioned from North American medical organizations, the Charleston Gazette reported in 1949 that much of the complex had poor sanitation, furniture, lighting and heating. But one wing rebuilt with work's Progress administration funds after a 1935 patient fire was luxurious. The asylum had several fatalities due to poor treatment and sanitation. The asylum's official death count is unknown, although study is continuing.

Western State Hospital hosted the West Virginia lobotomy project in the early 1950s. Historian Titus Swan estimates the number to be in the. Figure range. Because asylums were. West Virginia and Walter Freeman tried to employ lobotomy to lower patient numbers.

The hospital's population dropped in the 1980s owing to mental illness treatment modifications. Uncontrollable patients were caged. Then Governor Archmore revealed intentions to establish a new mental institution elsewhere in the state and turn West in hospital into a jail in February 1986.

Ordered jail conversion construction, but the state declared it unlawful and halted it dot Weston's William R. Jr. Hospital replaced the state hospital in May 1994. Ordered the closure owing to a class action lawsuit by patient families. The structure and grounds have been virtually. Safe for fares, religious revivals and tourists stop paying off duty. Municipal, County and state police officers destroyed all four levels in 1999. Three were fired over the event dot.

The structure has been proposed as a Civil War Museum for in a hotel and golf course complex. For preservation and tenant selection, the Weston Hospital Revitalization Committee was founded in 2000 as a 501C. Three dot in 2004, three tiny military history, choice and mental health museums opened on the 1st floor of the main hospital building. But fire code issues cost them to shut dot.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources auction the facility on. August 29th, 2007 a Morgantown asbestos removal contractor Joe Jordan was the top bidder and paid $1.5 million for the 242 comma, 000 square foot property. Bidding began at Dollar 500, comma 000 dot the old hospital grounds are also being maintained by Joe Jordan, Western State Hospital hosted Fall Fest in October 2007. Historic and paranormal daytime excursions in nocturnal ghost hunts were available.