These 5 Tennessee Asylums Are Still Standing And Still Disturbing
By Meghan Kraft|Published June 26, 2015
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
There’s something insanely fascinating about an old asylum. Something eerie and strange that continues to haunt the halls, the questions of those who used to live there and the ones who were meant to protect them. Asylums and hospitals that have dealt with the mind have made their way into popular culture and the media, allowing the horror film industry to thrive and murder mystery sales to shoot up. Did you know, though, that Tennessee has its own piece of the pie? Take a look at some crazy interesting structures still standing throughout the state. You won’t regret it.
The asylum opened its doors in 1840 and supposedly built a very solid and well-kempt institution. Unfortunately, however, there was no room for it to last. Severely understaffed and chronically running over budget, the asylum that once stood on the corner of Division and Demonbreun fell to pieces. In August 1863, a large fire killed eight of the inmates and sent the asylum packing - shock of shocks. The new, now wildly old, facility stood on Murfreesboro Road in Nashville. The hospital has been moved to Stewart's Ferry area, and the old building demolished.
Standing between Memphis and Jackson, the Bolivar State Hospital was once home to lobotomies and torturous therapy treatments. The stunning building is supposed to be haunted and ghost hunters have found their way to the now defunct building for decades. Keep in mind, though - it's illegal to hop those fences.
Although the asylum had a quick name change in 1977, it stayed open until 2012. There are plans to now demolish the historic buildings and create a park out of the area.
One of only five regional in-state psychiatric hospitals, this single building can hold up to one hundred and fifty people and is build on Cherokee tribal grounds.
