Posted in Indiana
August 18, 2015
These 8 Creepy Asylums In Indiana Are Still Standing And Still Disturbing
If you scare easily or do not enjoy all things creepy – I suggest turning around now. No, seriously – writing and researching this piece gave me the creeps. Ok, if you decide to keep reading just remember – I warned you. Below you are going to learn more about eight different creepy asylums in Indiana. You can also watch a rather creepy video about one of them.
Originally Waverly Hills Sanatorium was a place for Major Thomas H. Hays to send his daughters to school in 1883. The school was named by the woman he hired to teach Lizzy Lee Harris who liked the Waverley Novels. The Major named the property Waverley Hills because he liked the name. When TB became an epidemic the Sanatorium was built to hold up to fifty patients and the people went there to be isolated from everyone else. The Sanatorium and the property became its own self-contained community well equipped for patients. Over time it became worn down and vandalized almost to the point of being condemned. A paranormal loving couple bought the place and are restoring the eerie building to its former glory.
The Amhurst Asylum is a haunted destination and was ranked a number one haunt in 2013. The hospital was built for the criminally insane when it was operational and now people are still trying to recreate the possible horrors that happened while it was open. The fact that Amhurst was a working asylum makes going through the actors playing mutilated nurses and scary doctors that much creepier.
In 1883 there was only one insane asylum in Indianapolis and it was full so they needed to build a new one. The new facility was built in 1884 and construction continued to expand for the next seventy years. The Old Longcliff cemetery was near the hospital and is still there but hasn't been locatable since 1891 when it was abandoned.
In 1905 there was a bill passed to build a mental institution in Southeast Indiana. When the first six hundred patients were brought in by train they were guarded by men with shotguns full of rock salt. The center focused on humane treatment of the patients with mental problems. There were a lot of studies done in the hospital including those on the brains of patients that were already dead. During the depression a shortage of funds meant that only a hundred or so workers were looking after over a thousand patients. People stayed longer than they needed to and the type of therapy some people needed were not able to be given. This and the brain studies gave the institution its nickname Cragmont.
The Norman Beatty Mental Hospital started in 1951 and opened a maximum security division in 1954. This hospital replaced the Hospital for Insane Criminals at the Indiana State Prison. Between the years of 1951 and 1979 there were over 18,000 patients admitted to the hospital.
Brickmore Asylum was opened in the year 1902 and was straight out of your favorite horror movies. One big reason, the warden cut costs by using patients to run the asylum. In addition to this the asylum is known for its surprising number of deaths. The warden didn't allow visitors because he thought the patient's mental problems were contagious. Rumors and a supposed video prove that torture was used to 'treat patients' including the use of an outlawed Tesla device.
There was a prison built in Michigan City in 1860 but in the 1900's the state wanted a place for the criminally insane. Opened in 1910 this facility was used to house one hundred and eighty mentally unstable prisoners. The prison still stands and is a terrifying reminder of what mental health institutions were like in the 20th century.
The land the Richmond State Hospital sits on was bought in 1878 and the construction of the building didn't finish until 1890. The Hospital has been called a lot of things over the years including East Indiana Hospital for the Insane. It has a lot of unique building features including stained glass and cupolas. The building has been added onto but the original architecture that's left is still very creepy.
One thing to note about a few of these pictures is that I found them thanks to the amazing photographers on Flickr. Unfortunately, some of these asylums do not have very many (or any pictures) I can use. But, I did not want to leave out some of the more creepy ones just because I couldn’t find pictures. I did, however, find a pretty creepy video about one of these places that I wanted to share.
The Brickmore Asylum – Recovered Emily Green Footage Video
