This Fascinating Washington Hospital Has Been Abandoned And Reclaimed By Nature For Decades Now
By Sherri Adams|Published February 09, 2023
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Sherri Adams
Author
Sherri Adams is a writer, photographer, and travel enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. She has always been passionate about writing and the opportunities for connection through the written word. When she’s not writing, you can often find her at the seashore with her toes in the sand and her nose in a book.
When it comes to fascinating, abandoned, and downright spooky destinations, Washington doesn’t disappoint. The Evergreen State is home to dozens of ghost towns, historic landmarks, and long-forgotten buildings worthy of exploration. Such a place still stands in Whitman County. Abandoned but not forgotten, St. Ignatius Hospital is an unmistakable beacon in the tiny town of Colfax.
St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax opened in 1892 and provided healthcare for the people of Whitman County until 1964.
Recognizing the need for a healthcare facility, the Sisters of Charity were invited to build a hospital, relying on donations and sponsors to fund the project. After its closure in 1964, making way for a newer, modern hospital, St. Ignatius served as an assisted living facility, closing for good in 2003, where it sat abandoned for several years.
It is said that the ghosts of patients from long ago still roam the halls of St. Ignatius. Reports of eerie sounds and unexplainable shadows have long been threaded in the folklore of the building.
Since 2015, St. Ignatius Hospital has been open for tours, providing a popular destination for ghost hunters and lovers of the paranormal, hoping to get in touch with the troubled spirit of F. E. Martin, the facility's first fatality. Mr. Martin was crushed to death between two railroad cars and his spirit is rumored to remain within the walls of St. Ignatius.
St. Ignatius caught the eye of Hollywood with tales of ghostly apparitions and strange, paranormal activity. The hospital has been featured on the television series, "Paranormal Lockdown", as well as the paranormal reality series, "Ghost Adventures".
Over its 100 years in existence, the building has fallen into disrepair and in 2015, St. Ignatius Hospital was added to the Most Endangered Properties list by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. Efforts are underway to try to preserve this piece of Colfax History.
St. Ignatius hasn’t operated as a hospital in decades, but the stories of ghostly encounters remain. For available tour dates and information, check out the Haunted Colfax Hospital Website. Do you believe in ghosts? Would you tour St. Ignatius Hospital? Let us know in the comments.
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