You can imagine what follows. Edward A. Arthur Waverly Hills photograph collection, 019PC9, Filson Historical Society. The empty building was purchased by a number of buyers in the following years, but nothing ever saw fruition. Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky. Since then, theyve worked with the Waverly Hills preservation society to restore the building. However, after massive protest from the surrounding area, the plan was dropped. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed in 1961; it was first quarantined and then renovated. In 1850, James Stewart wrote of a friend who suffered exquisite pain during almost nine months spent in bed. 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. Public health advocates managed the Free Tuberculosis Dispensary on West Chestnut Street, hired a corps of traveling nurses, sponsored educational campaigns, and supported anti-spitting laws. No purchase necessary. This is the building that still stands to this day. This new treatment meant that newer cases could now be treated as outpatients in a regular hospital. They were buried by passing through the death tunnel. Please click here to view the index. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. 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. Over the next two years of construction, a two-story wooden administration building as well as two connected open air pavilions on either side, each housing 20 male and female patients were built at a cost of $25,000. Ruins of a historic medical facility sits eerily by the water. The statue would have been based on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, only 20 feet taller. The Midwestern United States' tribute to Michelangelo is a foam statue sprayed with gaudy gold paint. Tuberculosis was becoming an epidemic in Valley Station, Pleasure Ridge Park, and other parts of Jefferson County in Kentucky. Waverly Hills Sanatorium | kcghosts The tunnels main purpose was to protect the morale of other patients. This former tuberculosis treatment facility now stands at the center of a public park. While the building is now primarily a tourist attraction for those with creepy predilections, it used to be a functioning tuberculosis hospital. Over the following years, Waverly would become a nearly self contained community. In 1961, the hospital finally closed its doors. Construction on this building began in 1908 and opened for business on July 26, 1910. About - Waverly Hills Sanatorium The tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis was identified in an Egyptian mummy that dated back to 3000 BCE. In the film, five college girls fulfill an initiation rite by spending the night in the haunted institution. Its also believed that patients whose infection spread to the brain, rendering them insane, were sent to the 5th floor. During the TB years, this tunnel was also used to transport the dead, so they wouldn't be seen by other patients. To this effect the original facility consisted of two open-air pavilions which housed 40 victims of the disease. & W.G.C. 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. No records could be found for these deaths, but the rumors and ghost stories have persisted and many tourists and ghost hunters have reported strange activity in . Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. A private tour of the death tunnel is available by appointment. Originally a heating duct, this tunnel was also used by the staff to climb the hill in bad weather. Notes For Unsolved: Waverly Hills Sanatorium - BuzzFeed 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. The new Sanatarium was officially opened July 26, 1910. The SciFi Channel series returned to Kentucky and did a live broadcast on Halloween night. I am somewhat a cliche'. It was thought that doing so would close up the small holes that tuberculosis causes. 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! A chute was built to aid in disposing dead bodies in such a way that the sick did not have to see them leaving. I would like to live and watch over and take care of my poor Fatherless children. Individuals worried about their health as well as about their family responsibilities and livelihood. Another of Todds plans was the refurbishing of the building into apartments, this also feel through due to lack of funding. After Alberhaskys efforts failed, Waverly Hills was sold to Tina and Charlie Mattingly in 2001. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky. Please note: We are not connected to The Waverly Hills Historical Society, Inc. Views, comments, posts, Our objective is the facts as we are a resource. The hospital was deteriorating badly when they took possession. Everyone at Waverly patients, nurses, doctors, and other employees had to say goodbye to everything they knew on the outside world. It is part of the. It is made with concrete all around, which makes this tunnel of nightmares a very sturdy structure. Important note:If you would like to use any information on this website (including text, bios, photos andany other information) we encourage you to contact us. Death Tunnel (2005) - IMDb Official Waverly Hills Sanatorium/ Woodhaven Geriatric Center Memorial Because Tuberculosis was so extremely contagious and at epidemic proportions, those living with it could not be allowed to live and exist among the general population. publications, etc do not reflect the views of The Waverly Hills Historical Society, Inc. 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. Nothing that went down the death tunnel ever came back up. can not be used in any means without written persmission from the owner of the media. Later it was leased to a private nursing firm and the name was changed to Woodhaven Geriatric Center. Was a May Day Attack by Pilgrims a Practice Run for a Massacre? 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. A total of 63,000 people lost their lives up until 1961, the year when the hospital was closed. We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. Today, it stands today as a monument in the fight against the dreaded disease. If the number is true, the cost would equate to roughly. The tunnel is supposed to be haunted by those who made their last journey through it. If youre in the Louisville area, Cave Hill Cemetery is another haunted hotspot where many visitors report hearing disembodied voices including laughter and screaming as well as unexplained orbs of light that appear to dance over certain graves. In 1873, Agatha Logan Marshall wrote matter-of-factly to her brother-in-law Thomas W. Bullitt about her recent diagnosis of consumption and her concerns about her future well-being and economic security: Dr Bush made an examination of my lungs and told me they were very seriously involveda fact I have known all alongof course I am in no immediate danger for consumption is a lingering disease but I have no hope or expectation of ever being well again and I am very anxious if possible to have my little prosperity so it will yield me an income. Marshall aptly characterized consumption as a lingering disease, one in which symptoms could come and go and progress slowly over years. The search began for a proper location to constructed the much needed facility. an impact on Louisville's history. Then, the tuberculosis epidemic began to spread in Jefferson County, and the hospital could not keep up. The Historical Society and the family that owns the property hold fundraising events throughout the year. 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. 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. The most common treatment was simply bed rest in the, One fairly horrific procedure used on TB patients before medication was available was called. Construction of this Sanatorium began in March 1924 and opened for business on October 20, 1926. According to the Waverly Hills Historical Society, guided tours and overnight stays are booked up for the rest of this year. 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. Official Waverly Hills Sanatorium/ Woodhaven Geriatric Center Memorial & Historical Resource. Waverly Hills Sanatorium Louisville Kentucky 2009 - YouTube Meet MasterChef Gordon Ramsays Children - Who are They? 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. Visitation is only available during Historical Society events. The first Waverly Hills Sanatorium building opened on July 26, 1910. & W.G.C. A new sanatorium opened on October 17, 1926 that could accommodate 400-500 patients. In 1962 the hospital was purchased by the state and used as a nursing home. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. This company operated the nursing home facility until 1982 when it was closed by the state for violations and the mistreatment of patients. A childrens pavilion was built in 1916 that housed 40 children and included a schoolroom. In later years, the property was repeatedly vandalized, and landowners didnt seem to care much about upkeep on the building -- which was nearly condemned. Waverly Hills was a self-contained community. Unfortunately, the sanatorium's medical records (up to 1935) were destroyed during the Flood of 1937, and subsequent documentation was haphazardly discarded following the hospital's closing . Love Kentucky? 2025. Welcome to the Official Waverly Hills/ Woodhaven memorial & historical resource site. The reasons for doing this may have been to keep from spreading disease once the body was brought back into town, and/or to make the body lighter. He had a small schoolhouse built on Pages Lane and hired schoolteacher Lizzie Lee Harris to teach his three daughters. The Ghosts of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville - Ghost City Tours Even so, the CDC reported 9,557 cases in the United States in 2015. Trellix. Frank J. Stewart served as the assistant medical director and as a physician at the sanatorium up until the 1950s. 2023 Waverly Hills Historical Society | All Rights Reserved. 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. EVIL in the DEATH TUNNEL || Waverly Hills Sanatorium The Haunted Side - Paranormal Investigations 162K subscribers Join Subscribe 2K Share 27K views 5 months ago On this episode of The. Previous property owners had no desire to maintain the luster of the building and did little to stop people from slowly destroying her. Another theory is that Mary got pregnant by one of the doctors, and when he tried to perform an abortion, she died, and the suicide was staged. The 1920 & 1930 census reports were all hand written. It was closed down and quarantined, then renovated. 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. 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. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium death tunnel in Kentucky has an interesting history, and you can read more about it in our previous article. Hills Memorial Research Group. It is said that 63,000 people died at Waverly Hills over the years, but that is just what records . The video above is the movies trailer posted by YouTube Movies & Shows. Patients in every condition were accepted including those in early stages to those in the final stages. The Halloween season draws much larger crowds and lots of fright enthusiasts. The only building in Louisville (hopefully) that contains two ancient holy skeletons. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. His plan was to turn the main hospital building into a minimum-security prison for state use. Its said that the state shut it down due to reports of improper care and physical abuse of the elderly patients there. This list is organized by date of death and not by name. During the Halloween season, Waverly Hills turns itself into a thrilling Haunted House. Its believed that, at one point, he hospital was tending to as many as 140 patients. shared photos and the stories of their family members who were patients and staff members of Waverly Hills. Waverly Hills Sanatorium Body Chute: Is It Haunted? Waverly Hills Sanatorium We now have a patient death index for patients that died at Waverly Hills starting in 1911. What makes this tunnel in Kentucky stand out from the others? Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. 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. On this grand tour, visitors can get the historical tales of the tunnel's actual purpose. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! For more haunted adventures, check out these haunted tunnels in Kentucky. 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. 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 bottom line is that the death tunnel is a must-stop if you happen to be a haunted places enthusiast. The building was designed to accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients safely. 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. **Research compiled for Ryan & Shane on January 27, 2017 by Micki Taylor. & W.G.C. Even with the building of additional pavilions, space for patients was consistently at a minimal. Tuberculosis and Waverly Hills Sanatorium in the Filsons Collections, The Filson Historical Society and Cincinnati Museum Center. The owner (Tina) and a security guard say theyve seen lights turn on in this room while they were outside. Movies were shown and crafts were made to keep patients in high spirits. This list is organized by date of death and not by name. Eddie Murphys Kids: Everything We Know About His 10 Kids, Is Vampire Diaries Coming Back? Before we go any further, its important to note that abandoned places can be extremely dangerous and many are off-limits to the public. 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There are currently 10 different medications available in the US to treat tuberculosis. 2023 Project MUSE. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky opened in 1910 to treat tuberculosis patients. This list does not included patient data from the geriatric center after inpatient tuberculosis treatment had stopped. From Alabama to Wyoming, there are abandoned towns, amusement parks, and ruins lurking in your home state. During the late 1800s, roughly one in five deaths (20%) was attributed to tuberculosis. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. Obsessed with travel? The warm, wet weather in Kentucky near the Ohio River was a breeding place for bacteria, and insects often helped to spread disease. Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Kentucky Historic Institutions It has been estimated that the death tunnel actually saw more dead people than most modern hospitals do in its first three years. EVIL in the DEATH TUNNEL || Waverly Hills Sanatorium - YouTube In 1849, Ann Beatty wrote to her mother about her attacks of spitting bloodone of the most dreaded symptomsand expressed her fear of developing the disease: Pa says that if I am not very careful he thinks I will have consumption. Thank you! A documentary named Spooked was also made during the filming of The Death Tunnel. KEY: S - Submitted NP - Newspaper Article KDR - Kentucky Death Records TB - Waverly Hills Sanatorium G - Woodhaven Geriatrics Center 20 - 1920 Census Report 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.

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