Whittingham Hospital

(Tea-break reading)

It opened in 1873 and grew to be the largest mental hospital in England. It pioneered the use of EEG’s and was so large it had a church, farms, telephone exchange, railway and much more. It officially opened on 1^st April, 1873 and already had 115 patients, the capacity was for 1100.

In 1878 it was expanded for another 700, in 1884 a sanatorium was added for patients with infectious diseases and by 1915 it had grown once more, there were a recorded 2,820 patients there. A railway line for the asylum built in 1887 was used for staff, passengers and supplies like coal and this ran until 30^th June 1957.

In the First World War patients were treated there, any casualties were buried in the private cemetery and civilian use resumed after the war. Post War it became part of the NHS and was renamed Whittingham Hospital and in July 1967 there was a meeting due to concerns about patient treatment, cruelty and fraud. Initially the complaints were suppressed but eventually the accusations could no longer be hidden away.

Patients were left untreated, some only got bread and jam, or ‘slops’ and some were left outside. Patients had witnessed other patients being dragged by their hair and other such allegations. As a result some staff suffered criminal punishment, two members of staff were jailed for theft and another was jailed for manslaughter when an elderly patient suffered an assault and died because of it.

The hospital closed in 1995 and parts of it have since been demolished. The church and St Luke’s main entrance block stay because the church in particular is grade II listed. Invariably it is now a spot for ghost hunters and urban explorers until its full fate has been decided.

[[File:St Johns church, Whittingham Hospital (geograph 2315764).jpg|thumb|The disused St John's Anglican Church in the hospital grounds, a Grade II listed building[21]]]

Overbrook Asylum

It is also known as the Essex County Hospital, the area is heavily guarded for the sake of preventing further vandalism and general criminal activity. I for one salute this, preservation of these buildings seems to be scarce in my country so I am always glad to hear when action is taken anywhere.

In 1986 the land was designated for the new location of the insane asylum and was located in Verona, now Cedar Grove, it was selected as a remote location, high altitude and peaceful for rehabilitation.

Like many it was soon victim to being at full capacity, it was so large it had its own train stop, grew its own food and the farming was considered to be helpful towards the rehabilitation of the patients. It was its own little town and even had a semi-professional baseball team.

The 1960’s and 70’s brought the further introduction of new treatments, medication and brought a decline in admitted patients. It still operated into the 1990’s and slowly parts were abandoned, which meant urban explorers and then local legends started. In 2007 Essex Court announced a smaller, modern place would be built. Overbrook would become a 90 acre country park.

For New Jersey teens exploring this was a rite of passage, “the asylum”, “the bin” and “the hilltop” tested their mettle. It is a sad fact that the buildings have been demolished. Now the site will hopefully be used for local benefit.

The site for the asylum is not that of the sanatorium, the Essex County Mountain Sanatorium stood elsewhere but was left entirely without preservation and nothing remains. The once lovely building for aiding tuberculosis sufferers is no longer standing. Nearby the penitentiary from 1872 will eventually follow suit no doubt.

In 2008 Choke was filmed at the Overbrook Asylum and so has been preserved in the form of video/film at least.

21^st December, 1917, an article appeared in The New York Times about a terrible tragedy at Overbrook. A set of boilers failed during a cold wave, 24 patients died within 20 days. There were 1,800 patients at the time in the asylum and it gave rise to 32 cases of frostbite. The conditions were bad enough that the director sent a letter to relatives, he encouraged them to take their relatives away until the situation could be resolved.

Ghost Adventures visited the site but they did not give the official location during the filming, but Ghost Hunters and their sister show, GH Academy also visited. The TV shows go with the idea that forgotten patients still wander the halls. Much like Danver’s and others of a similar build the idea of the underground tunnels draws a good deal of attention too.

Building II was the location for the morgue and criminally insane, apparently, I do wonder why these two always feature together on plans… and it is said that there is a nurse there walking the halls. Alongside this are reports of screaming, bangs and direct threats on a vocal level for people to leave the property.

I could find nothing outside of the TV shows about hauntings, I am more than aware about the claims from these shows about false evidence too. Many locals seem quick to dispute the cases and tales as well, so have you anything to add?

By J. E. Bailey – Images of America: Cedar Grove, Public Domain, Link

 

Pennhurst State School and Hospital

It was originally known as the Eastern State Institution for the feeble-minded and epileptic, it closed 9^th December 1987 after a decade of controversy. From 1903- 1908 the original buildings were constructed, there were further additions to the site in 1919, 1921 and 1929. It didn’t stop there either, more were contributed in the 1960’s and again in 1971.

23^rd November, 1908, they admitted patient 1 and within four years it was overcrowded and pressured. The patients would be classified, and the status of admitted children would be seen as abhorrent these days. They ranged from the mute, blind, epileptic to deformity, offensive habits and more. Yet somehow they also for the patients into making mattresses, shoes, farming, laundry and other trades.

There were other assumptions, one of them was the Chief Physician (and eugenicist) thought that all of those of feeble mind were potential criminals.

In 1968 a CBS10 correspondent Bill Baldini anchored a five part exposé about the poor conditions. In 1983 there were nine employees on charges of patient abuse and finally the Halderman Case details the wide-spread abuse and finally resulted in its closure.

Halderman was a resident who upon her release filed suit in the federal district court. It had started when she visited her parents and had unexplained bruises, it led to the courts finding that Pennhurst was unsanitary, inhumane, dangerous and violating the fourteenth amendment (an easy summary being an Equal Protection Clause), and essentially the patients rights had been abused.

It has since been through various attempts at reincarnation for use. Now the administration building has been partially renovated and opened as the Pennhurst Asylum haunted house. It attracts quite an interest but those formerly affiliated with the place seem to find this disrespectful and controversy about it remains. Former patients, I presume from some feedback, find the tourism and sensational way it is handled as somewhat akin to a slap in the face.

Pennhurst has attracted its fair share of TV coverage, with shows like Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters (TAPS) and Haunted History in the name.

Reports on the paranormal side involve partial and full-bodied apparitions, the noises of screaming and piano playing. Along with various reports of this, those interested in the exposure of the place will find Suffer the Little Children both interesting but at the same time it can be a quite disturbing watch.

By Smccphotog (talk) (Uploads) – Own work, Public Domain, Link

 

Larundel Psychiatric Hospital

Like many asylums this Australian institute is reportedly haunted and as of 1999 its closure has brought paranormal adventurers to the sight. It was part of a larger complex known as Mont Park, it had 750 patients at its peak and has housed some of the most mentally ill criminals in Australia.

It was the first treatment centre for Peter Dupras, a serial killer with rape and false imprisonment included in his history. It is also the birthplace of Lithium, used in the treatment of the manic episode of those suffering bi-oplar.

The asylums construction started in 1938 but WWII disrupted it, it formerly opened it’s doors in 1953. The asylum grounds now have 550 residential dwellings and the last remaining wards are due to be redeveloped.

As for ghostly goings on? Expect the usual of banging, children’s laughter and crying. One rumour of a child on the third floor of a building playing a music box kept turning up in my searches. The creepy sounds and music may well be from the local university who intend its use to scare away trespassers. As with all of these glorious old places I can see why, vandalism and graffiti disturb me more than ghosts, because ghosts down show a blatant disregard for property and history.

Atlas Obscura Entry

Wikipedia Entry 

By Melburnian – Own work (Digital photograph by author), CC BY 2.5, Link

Outlast – Game

Outlast and it’s DLC were developed by Red Barrels and for survival horror fans like me, this is on the top of the list. It is a first person game and in both the main game and DLC you play unfortunate chaps trying to escape a bizarre psychiatric horror. Available on PC, via Steam if you should so choose, or Xbox and Playstation. 

I’m going to attempt to review this without spoilers, except to say that if you thought the first one had crazy scenes you won’t be surprised to find out there are more in the DLC and some pretty gross moments. Neither protagonist uses combat, you’re weapon is a camera used I that sort of found footage Blair Witch-type and you get to occasionally shove someone or orchestrate movements so they end up deceased or fatally injured as you run the hell away.

In the first, main part, you play Miles Upsher, he’s the guy that heads inside to expose the atrocities. He’s been tipped off and ends up trapped inside. The DLC is Waylon Parker’s story and he risks it all to send out the e-mail that ultimately leads to Miles into the asylum.

The game has plenty of places you can explore, lots of grizzly sights and in sections some fast paces gameplay. You use your camera as a light source and so you have to watch out that you don’t blow your chances by running low on batteries.

The ‘patients’ are often unhelpful, talk gibberish are are down right psychotic/violent. It’s a best guess scenario when you meet them but that just adds to the fun factor. Put the headphones on and turn off the lights, then have a great time immersing yourself in a game to keep your heart racing.