Waverly Hills is one of the most fascinating buildings to be found that stores within its wallsmany horrible and pain filled memories of a time where it seemed to continuously consume 100s of lives. As it happens, one of his daughters needed to attend school, so he built a facility that would come to be called "Waverly School" by a teacher named Lizzie Lee Harris. Create a website or blog at WordPress.com, Historical Case Studies in Crime & Punishment, Infirmaries and Poorhouses: Image Gallery, Transylvania University Medical Department, University of Louisville Medical Department, Kentucky Institution for Feeble Minded Children, Covington-Kenton County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Madisonville State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The path towards the light connected to the main building via a railway system on the first floor of the original hospital. It was closed down and quarantined, then renovated. Waverly Hills Historical Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, the history of its past employees and patients, as well as the education of the public of the history of TB and the effect on the area. Are they real, or arent they, that is the question? I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky. This site That is, 63,000 people seeking treatment at the Waverly Hills hospital were left to die, they were forced to commit suicide or they lost their minds. As no reason has been given for why she would have committed suicide, rumor is, she was actually pushed. The first phase of the development, coming in at a cost of $4 million, would have been a constructing the 150 foot tell statue, to be situated on the roof of the sanatorium. A homeless man and his dog supposedly fell down the elevator shaft when the building was vacant, and some have seen the. 2023 Atlas Obscura. In 1926, the massive building seen today opened its doors to accommodate another 450 beds. One of the creepier Waverly Hills legends is a room near the morgue dubbed the draining room, where dead bodies were supposedly hung on hooks and cut open top to bottom to rid them of infected fluids. These dead patients were taken to the burial site through the tunnels known as the 490-foot (150-meter Death Tunnel), one of the most famous parts of the hospital. This video by Youtube user JustAVideoPage shows a hauntingly beautiful collage of many faces that may have eventually traveled down the death tunnel. In 1961, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed because there was no longer a need for a tuberculosis facility. B.A.S.E.-Bay Area Supernatural Encounters 2009Follow us @ www.facebook.com/bayareaseor visit our webpage @ www.bayarease.comBack before the sanatorium was ev. The little TB clinic was filled with more than 140 people, and it was obvious that a much larger hospital was needed to treat those afflicted with the condition. After the geriatric center closed down, various owners considered turning the building into a number of things, including a jail and. (M to P) Very little of this part of Waverly has fallen down, and the structure itself is still safe. Even with many new procedures available, it was impossible to save everyone. To this effect the original facility consisted of two open-air pavilions which housed 40 victims of the disease. Waverly Hills was a self-contained community. Copyright 2003, 2004 . Waverly Hills Memorial What makes this tunnel in Kentucky stand out from the others? Some of the names were difficult if not impossible to read. Alberhaskys intentions were to construct the worlds tallest statue ofJesuson the site, along with an arts and worship center. Youtube user Dead Explorer perfectly captured what its like to walk through the tunnel in the video above. In an attempt to to contain the disease, a Board of Tuberculosis Hospital was established in 1906. The History Behind the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Eddie Murphys Kids: Everything We Know About His 10 Kids, Is Vampire Diaries Coming Back? It was the leading cause of death during sanatorium's peak years of operation; however, it is impossible to say how many people died at Waverly Hills. The current owners of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium use the derelict space as a haunted attraction, staging horror houses in the fall and running ghost tours the rest of the year. There are many reports of the infamous shadow people of Waverly Hills. This is an active project so check back often for updates. This company operated the nursing home facility until 1982 when it was closed by the state for violations and the mistreatment of patients. resource site. In 1850, James Stewart wrote of a friend who suffered exquisite pain during almost nine months spent in bed. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville opened in 1910 to accommodate tuberculosis patients. Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. Land was donated and $11 million was used to started construction on the new hospital in 1924. A new wing was built that year to accommodate those patients in advanced stages. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. The 1920 & 1930 census reports were all hand written. Contributed by Phil Tkacz, Shawn Logan, Jay Gravatte, & Hope Bryant | contact@kyhi.org. Sincerely, Waverly As such, Waverly Hills was largely self-sufficient; they grew their own food and raised animals; they had a post office and a water treatment facility. tlxLastPublishedDate.toLocaleString() : now.toLocaleString(); document.write("Last updated on " + edited); WHS Memorial Website would like give a warm and heartfeltthanks toall the wonderful people who've The story goes that Lizzie Lee Harris loved Sir Walter Scotts series, The Waverley Novels -- more than, Hays reportedly like the name and so named all of his land Waverley Hill. The enormous and haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium by night. It was also a disease that could end in a painful death. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. Spooked: The Ghosts of Waverly Hillsis a horror film about events that took place in thehospital. ***Note:***The 1920 & 1930census reports were all hand written. There are a large number of people who enjoy the idea of believing and chasing ghosts and ghosts tales, and this fanbase is one that seems to grow byleaps and boundsevery single year. This website wouldbe The project was canceled in December 1997. Located just outside of Elizabethtown, Kasey Cemetery is so haunted, its known as the Gates of Hell. It is made with concrete all around, which makes this tunnel of nightmares a very sturdy structure. Please remember that information contained on this site, authored/owned by KHI, is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. & W.G.C. In the film, five college girls fulfill an initiation rite by spending the night in the haunted institution. There have been reported ghost sightings in Room 502 at the sanatorium, particularly the ghost of a nurse in uniform. Many people claimed that the souls of the people who died in the hospital were still wandering in the corridors. If the number is true, the cost would equate to roughly. . In Stewarts autobiography, he recalls that the highest number of deaths in any year that he worked at the sanatorium was 153, and that most of the worst years followed World War II, when soldiers returned, infected, from overseas. They screamed and banged on the door until two security guards came to their rescue -- and found that the door gave way easily for them. In crowded cities in the 19th century, anywhere from 70 to 90% of the population may have been infected with the bacteria, which could lie dormant for any amount of time. Horror For an initiation stunt, five college women are locked in a Kentucky hospital built in 1910 where 63,000 people died from a disease known as the "white plague". The statue, which was inspired by the famedstatue of Christ onCorcovadoMountain inRio de Janeiro, would have been designed by local Louisville sculptorEd Hamiltonand architect Jasper Ward. Plans are underway for an on site memorial The only building in Louisville (hopefully) that contains two ancient holy skeletons. If the bacteria did become an infection, there was an 80% chance of death at that time. Since there was no cure for tuberculosis in those days, anyone who caught this disease was brought to this hospital in a sense to be separated away from society. No matter the good vibes the site espoused, it still ended up as place to scare people. With the constant increase in the number of patients and the inability to find a solution, the patients started to lose their minds and started suffering. Love Kentucky? It could accommodate at least 400 + patients and be considered one of the most modern and well-equipped facilities at the time. The tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis was identified in an Egyptian mummy that dated back to 3000 BCE. The most common treatment at the time was sunlight, fresh air, and nutritious food. - 1920 Census Report30 - 1930 Census Report At the time, Tuberculosis was a very serious disease. The tunnels main purpose was to protect the morale of other patients. Once you went to Waverly Hills, you became a permanent resident on the hill. Oddly enough, despite that fact, many patients received visits from loved ones on visiting day. Even so, the CDC reported 9,557 cases in the United States in 2015. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Tuberculosis was becoming an epidemic in Valley Station, Pleasure Ridge Park, and other parts of Jefferson County in Kentucky. Some have reported seeing shapes near the window in room 502 and even a voice saying, Get out.. There are a few abandoned tunnels in Kentucky, but none have quite the reputation of the notorious Waverly Hills Death Tunnel on 4400 Paralee Lane in Louisville. In mechanical drawings from 1924 and 1962, however, this room is labeled the Transformer Room, and it clearly appears to be an electrical room. The administrators began taking the bodies through the hidden tunnel to hide the morbid evidence from the other tenants, earning the tunnel the nickname the body chute. Luckily this misery came to an end in the 1940s when a tuberculosis drug was introduced that drastically lowered the need for such a large facility. Plans to turn Waverly Hills Sanatorium into a hotel, restaurant, and convention center are moving forward after the Louisville Metro Council approved a zoning change request by the owner on Feb. 27. The following index contains recorded patient deaths at Waverly Hills between 1911-1960. It has been estimated that the death tunnel actually saw more dead people than most modern hospitals do in its first three years. We wouldnt want you to end up in the hospital, or worse, jail. Rumors VS. Facts, 10+ of Hollywood's Most Famous Twins Listed, 7 Best Horror Audiobooks of 2022 that Will Make Your Spine Chill, 8 Best British Crime Series on Netflix: Crime Series, the English Way, 9 Best Comedies on HBO Max to Watch Right Now, 10+ Best Stand-up Comedy Specials on Netflix: Tickle your funny bone with the best comedy shows, 10 Best Anime Series on Netflix (Updated), 10 Best True Crime Podcasts to Keep You Up at Night, 10 Best Movies To Watch On Disney+ For All Ages (Updated! Construction of this Sanatorium began in March 1924 and opened for business on October 20, 1926. Our objective is to provide a resource and a memorial for all the building and the people whose lives made an impact on Louisville's history. Symptoms of tuberculosis include: a lasting cough, chest pains, fever, loss of appetite / weight loss, hills, sweating, and coughing up blood. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The number of shrouded bodies being taken away from the building began to have a dramatic effect on the morale of the victims, which was hugely problematic since this was the cornerstone of treatment. Key: Before we go any further, its important to note that abandoned places can be extremely dangerous and many are off-limits to the public. Kentuckys Home to the Largest and Most Haunted Victorian Neighborhood in America, The Haunted Spurlington Tunnel In Kentucky Has A Bone-Chilling History, One Of The Most Haunted Cemeteries In Kentucky Is Also The Most Beautiful, Driving Down This Haunted Kentucky Road Will Give You Nightmares, Spend A Night At This Haunted Sanatorium In Kentucky If You Dare, This Haunted Tunnel In Kentucky Is Not For The Faint Of Heart, 11 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned Hospital Hiding In Kentucky, The Story Behind This Evil Place In Kentucky Will Make Your Blood Turn Cold. During the World War, the U.S. found the tunnel to be safe in the case of an attack. In the early 1900s, Jefferson County was ravaged by an outbreak of tuberculosis - known as the "White Plague" - which prompted the construction of a new hospital. I am somewhat a cliche'. There are tales of an apparition seemingly draped in white, like a doctors coat. This is an active project so check back often for updates. The Filson Historical Society holds a wide range of collections documenting individual experiences of tuberculosis and collective efforts to manage the disease. Trellix. Our objective is the facts as we are a resource. The tunnel itself was originally 525 feet long and ran out to the bottom of the hill. We do not have access to records of any patients from Waverly Hills and we cannot accommodate any requests at this time. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Respect all signs posted and never trespass on private property. The following index contains recorded patient deaths at Waverly Hills between 1911-1960. Over the following years, Waverly would become a nearly self contained community. In 1908, ground was broken on what would become known as Waverly Hills Sanatorium (no one is quite sure when or how the second e was dropped from Waverly). for all the names listed and to be listed. See. It opened as a 40 room hospital and they found that they needed to add on very quickly. Located on the south end of Jefferson County and now in the city limits of Louisville, Kentucky, the building, with its distinctive tower, was designed by D. X. Murphy and opened in 1926, adding four hundred additional beds to Waverly Hills facilities for tuberculosis patients. Even with the building of additional pavilions, space for patients was consistently at a minimal. Its believed that tuberculosis has claimed roughly. After Alberhaskys efforts failed, Waverly Hills was sold to Tina and Charlie Mattingly in 2001. this website are the property of their respective owners or Waverly Hills Memorial & Historical Research Groupand The second purpose was to protect those who had to transport the dead to the pickup spot to be laid to rest. Visitation is only available during Historical Society events. & Historical Research GroupAll files, pictures, video, E.V.P., articles, trademarks; etc. Here are 9 things that make the death tunnel in Kentucky unique: The patients that passed on at Waverly were left at the end of the tunnel. Please click here to view the index. Can I visit any abandoned places in Kentucky? Even taking into account the extra 19 years that the geriatric hospital was in operation, more than 2 people would have had to die on-premises on average every day for 70 years. This new treatment meant that newer cases could now be treated as outpatients in a regular hospital. Patients in every condition were accepted including those in early stages to those in the final stages. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.. Several people have claimed shadowy figures have peered around corners at them. Microfilm rolls #7016130-7041803. In March 1996, Robert Alberhasky bought Waverly Hills. Out of room, the hospital had to house these patients on the grounds, under tents. The dead were left at the end of the tunnel. memorial. We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. Room 502 has a reputation due to the two suicides that supposedly occurred there. Construction on this building began in 1908 and opened for business on July 26, 1910. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! All proceeds benefit the restoration project. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, Waverly Hills was the place to come for treatment. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium death tunnel in Kentucky has an interesting history, and you can read more about it in our previous article. Waverly Hills Sanatorium sits on land that was originally purchased by Major Thomas H. Hays in 1883. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly_Hills_Sanatorium, http://paranormal.about.com/od/hauntedplaces/ig/World-s-Most-Haunted-Place/Waverly-Hills-Sanatorium.htm, http://practicalwanderlust.com/2016/09/louisville-kentucky-a-locals-guide-to-visiting-fall.html. A dedicated staff worked with thousands of TB patients, often contracting the disease themselves. Official Waverly Hills Sanatorium/ Woodhaven Geriatric Center Memorial & Historical Resource. Waverly Hills Sanatorium sits on land that was originally purchased by Major Thomas H. Hays in 1883. At the beginning of the 20th century Louisville Kentucky had the one of highest rate of tuberculosis deaths in the United States. It wasnt until 1882 that Robert Koch published a paper identifying this bacillus for the first time. The numbers are hard to believe, however. We do not have access to records of any patients from Waverly Hills and we cannot accommodate any requests at this time. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. The first Waverly Hills Sanatorium building opened on July 26, 1910. Deep under the hospital is the "Death Tunnel" which once were used to secretly remove the dead from the grounds. Other accounts tell of ghostly appearances by a little girl named Mary and a little boy named Bobby in other areas of the hospital. (The myth was further spread by Tina Mattingly on an episode of. img7.mynet.com They were buried by passing through the death tunnel. From Alabama to Wyoming, there are abandoned towns, amusement parks, and ruins lurking in your home state. ome improvement began to present itself in those who spent a restful retreat in the mountains. Construction on the first hospital began in 1908 in a quiet space atop a hill, where it was thought patients would be at peace and receive lots of fresh air (and stay far from crowded areas). The Beginnings of industrialism, as well as geographic make-up were contributing factors. It was not known at the time that Tuberculosis was an airborne disease. Kentucky. Every state in the country has its fair share of haunted locations, and Kentucky is no different. The new Sanatarium was officially opened July 26, 1910. The two TB sanatoriums were open for a total of 51 years, which means that 3 to 4 people would have died every single day. In 2001, Charles and Tina Mattingly bought the property. You can imagine what follows. Was a May Day Attack by Pilgrims a Practice Run for a Massacre? What are the creepiest cemeteries in Kentucky? KDR - Kentucky Death RecordsS - SubmittedNP - NewspaperO - Other20 Create a website or blog at WordPress.com, Historical Case Studies in Crime & Punishment, Infirmaries and Poorhouses: Image Gallery, Transylvania University Medical Department, University of Louisville Medical Department, Kentucky Institution for Feeble Minded Children, Covington-Kenton County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Madisonville State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. In fact, it has been called one of the most haunted places in the world Room 502 (Real location, unsubstantiated myths). Mind you, we are not confirming nor denying that Waverly is haunted, but it has been featured on quite a few documentaries and television shows over the years. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Over the next several years, the main building as well as surrounding structures fell into a state of abandonment. This tunnel has likely seen more death than most modern hospitals. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Please now use the Bobby Nichols Golf Course Gate entrance at 4400 Paralee Drive off of East Pages Lane. Later it was leased to a private nursing firm and the name was changed to Woodhaven Geriatric Center. Waverly Hills Sanatorium has been a TB hospital, a nursing home, a failed religious monument, and now a paranormal investigation site. A childrens pavilion was also built to house not only young victims of the disease, but also children whose parents were too ill to care for them. Today, the building is spooky enough to give anyone chills. The statue would have been based on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, only 20 feet taller. It's believed that nearly 50,000. var tlxLastPublishedDate = null; var now = new Date(); var edited = (tlxLastPublishedDate != null) ? (A to D) Patients of W.H.S. The tunnel is supposed to be haunted by those who made their last journey through it. In 1962, the building reopened as a nursing home that eventually became known as Woodhaven Medical Services, a geriatric facility. Offer subject to change without notice. Photographs, text, illustrations and all other media not authored by KHI belong to their respective authors/owners/copyright holders and are used here for educational purposes only under Title 17 U.S. Code 107. Everyone at Waverly patients, nurses, doctors, and other employees had to say goodbye to everything they knew on the outside world. The bottom line is that the death tunnel is a must-stop if you happen to be a haunted places enthusiast. There are said to be several ghosts still haunting the echoing halls. (Please get in the death tunnel.). On this grand tour, visitors can get the historical tales of the tunnel's actual purpose. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed in 1961; it was first quarantined and then renovated. Not much was known scientifically about tuberculosis at that point -- but it was clearly very contagious, and it was common practice to quarantine TB patients away from the population. Originally a heating duct, this tunnel was also used by the staff to climb the hill in bad weather. All rights reserved. Today, it stands today as a monument in the fight against the . Over the next few decades, Waverly Hills would fall into more dark times. The same problems persisted, as well as suicides of the patients. In 2014, the most recent year for which the CDC reports a mortality figure, 493 people died of TB. KDR - Kentucky Death Records S - Submitted NP - Newspaper O - Other 20 - 1920 Census Report 30 - 1930 Census Report * followed by year - Died at WHS/WGC in that year Patients of W.H.S. (I to L) Patients of W.H.S. Last, a rich variety of records from the early and mid-twentieth centuryincluding pamphlets, photographs, letters, and architectural recordshelp document the history of Waverly Hills Sanatorium from the perspective of administrators and some of the employees and patients who lived there. will be confirmed information either by photograph, news article, and/ or historical archive of some kind. & W.G.C. Treatment for tuberculosis, an infectious bacterial disease . In 1926, they finished the building to what it is today. What makes this tunnel in Kentucky stand out from the others? Waverly Hills isnt the only haunted tunnel around. The sanitorium opened in the midst of a widespread epidemic It was within this devastating context that the Waverly Hills Sanitorium first opened its doors on July 26, 1910, as a two-story wooden structure built to house about 50 patients. This list does not included patient data from the geriatric center after inpatient tuberculosis treatment had stopped. A young boy named Timmy or Tim has been seen rolling a blue rubber ball. A four-story stone and brick Tudor Gothic revival style building, once part of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, still stands in 2021 as a tourist site and as a testament to struggles with a deadly disease. Some have called this long concrete structure the Death Shute over the years. If you want to visit, make your plans early! More Waverly Hills haunted history, after the jump. Estimates vary, and records have been destroyed, but there may have been as many as 64,000 deaths at Waverly Sanatorium. However it wouldnt be until 1949 when Streptomycin would be available to the patients at Waverly Hills. Since then, it has become a popular destination for paranormal investigators. The building was designed to accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients safely. The Waverly Hills death tunnel actually was considered a sanctuary during an air raid and held enough space to fit everyone in the building safely. From 1962 to 1981, the building served as a medical facility for geriatric patients: the Woodhaven Geriatrics Center. Tuberculosis got its nicknames from the sickly pallor of the victims the disease claimed. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Consumption was the most common name for pulmonary tuberculosis, the form of the disease that affected the lungs and, per its name, seemed to consume the body as it progressed in stages over many years. A documentary named Spooked was also made during the filming of The Death Tunnel. The Waverly Hills Death Tunnel. Built in 1910 to combat tuberculosis, the 180,000 sqft, deeply haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium has seen thousands of deaths and many ghosts. TB - Tuberculosis PatientG - Geriatric Patient Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The video above is the movies trailer posted by YouTube Movies & Shows. 2023 Project MUSE. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. 4400 Paralee Lane,Louisville, Ky 40272Owners: Charles & Tina MattinglyThe GPS address for tours and investigations is: [redacted]Note: Nobody is allowed on the premises without a reservation! Powered by www.tripod.com & (E to H) Patients of W.H.S. 2025. The Historical Society and the family that owns the property hold fundraising events throughout the year. In 1912, patients in advanced stages of infection were moved from from the City Hospital to Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Movies were shown and crafts were made to keep patients in high spirits. Her love for the tiny school, in addition to her fondness for Scotts Waverley Novels, prompted her to name the little schoolhouse, Waverley School. Major Hays liked the name, and chose to name his property Waverley Hill. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital kept the name after purchasing the land and opening the Sanatorium. KEY: S - Submitted NP - Newspaper Article KDR - Kentucky Death Records TB - Waverly Hills Sanatorium G - Woodhaven Geriatrics Center 20 - 1920 Census Report publications, etc do not reflect the views of The Waverly Hills Historical Society, Inc. Woodhaven was closed by the state of Kentucky in 1982 after a Grand Jury inspection found several patient abuse, and the degrading state of the facilities. He hired a woman named Lizzie Lee Harris to teach at the school. It was considered very state-of-the-art for its day. They would not be subjected to seeing dead patients taken away for burial/burning. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. This is an active project so check back often for updates. Major Hays was in need of a school for his daughters to attend, so he started a one-room schoolhouse that was located on Pages Lane. Sanatoriums were built on high hills surrounded by peaceful woods to create a serene atmosphere to help the patients recover. It was two stories tall and had only enough space for 40 patients in early stages of TB. Many of these materials are courtesy of other sources and the original copyright holders retain all applicable rights under the law. A childrens pavilion was built in 1916 that housed 40 children and included a schoolroom. & W.G.C. There are a few abandoned tunnels in Kentucky, but none have quite the reputation of the notorious Waverly Hills Death Tunnel on 4400 Paralee Lane in Louisville. In 1911, the new City Hospital relocated all of their TB cases to Waverly Hills, which had erected tents on the grounds to accomodate the overflow. More than half of those diagnosed with TB would die in three to five years. We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. Alberhaskys plan fell through, as only $3,000 was raised in a year. Research notes for Supernatural Season 2 Episode 4. Of course, Waverly Hills Sanatorium is one of the most popular abandoned places in Kentucky, but there are many abandoned places peppered around the state that would send a shiver up anyones spine like the Red Bridge on Devils Hollow Road near Frankfort. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Buildings were added to the institution in 1912, 1916, and 1926. Please click here to view the index. Tina and Charlie Mattingly bought the property in 2001 with the aim of completely restoring it. Even with many new procedures available, it was impossible to save everyone.
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