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| Waverly Hills Sanatorium, by Autumn, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 |
Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. This sanatorium was built for the purpose of heal tuberculosis but many tragic events took there made it a scary place and now this abandoned sanatorium is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the United States.
A Brief History of Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened in 1910. The purpose of establishing this sanatorium was to accommodate 40 to 50 Tuberculosis (also known as the "white plague') patients. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, tuberculosis was spreading all over the United States and Jefferson county was one of the most affected places in Kentucky. Louisville was very severely affected by this outbreak at that time because the wetlands along the Ohio river were perfect for tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium Tuberculosis).
Since there was no antibiotic at that time, back then rest was considered as a treatment for tuberculosis.
seeing the high number of people get affected and the authorities established this sanatorium in order to control this outbreak.
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| "Solarium Hallway", by Aaron Vowels, licensed under CC BY 2.0 |
This two-story hospital was built on land that was originally purchased by Major Thomas Hercules Hays back in 1883. Major hays were in a need of a school for his daughter, so he started a one-room schoolhouse and hired a woman named Lizzie Lee Harris to teach at school. Major Hays's loved Scott's "Waverly Novels" and she named her little school, Waverly School. Major Hay liked this name and he decided to name his property "Waverly Hill". After the Board of Tuberculosis purchased the land from Major Hay. They kept that same name for the sanatorium.
James J. Gaffney and Dennis Xavier Murphy were the architects of this sanatorium. In 1914 a children's pavilion added 50 beds making the known capacity around 130 patients at that time. The children's pavilion was not only for the sick children but also for the children of the sick patients of the sanatorium and in 1924 a construction of a 180,000 square-foot five-story was begun. This facility opened in 1926 and featured separate patient modern laboratories and more than 400 patients could be accommodated in this five-story facility.
By 1938 tuberculosis became the leading cause of death in Kentucky and on average 2000 people died annually. But the development of the antibiotic Streptomycin led to the dramatic decline of the tuberculosis rates and death and there was no need for such a large hospital. Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed in June of 1961 and the remaining patients were transferred to Hazelwood sanatorium in Louisville. But this sanatorium was reopened in1962 as a nursing home named Woodhaven Geriatric Center but this was closed permanently by the state for violation and mistreatment of patients in 1981and Waverly Hills Sanatorium was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on July 12, 1983.
Legends Surrounding the Waverly Hills Hospital
Besides famous as a historic place, Waverly Hills Sanatorium is considered to be one of the most haunted places in America because of the tragic events that took place there. Tuberculosis was an incurable disease back then and most of the patients of the sanatorium didn't survive and at one time the mortality rate grew high that one patient was dying every hour in the sanatorium and it is said that the spirits of the dead people haunt this hospital. There are many stories regarding the haunting of this sanatorium.
Painful Treatment Methods
Tuberculosis was a dreadful and incurable disease earlier and the patients had to undergo very painful treatment methods. Because there were no anesthetics back then the surgeries were conducted on patients at their conscious stage. Sometimes patient's chest was cut to remove ribs and treat infection in the lungs. This was very risky and the patient had to undergo several surgeries after this and in some cases, the surgeon cuts out the infected part of the lungs and only 5% of the patients survived these painful processes.
In some cases, the tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium Tuberculosis) infect the patient's brain and influence the nervous system of the patient. Due to this, the patient becomes mentally ill. The doctors give an electric shock to these patients but only a few patients survived.
It is said that the painful screams of those patients can be heard from the sanatorium at night time.
Room No: 502
Probably the most famous room in this sanatorium, Room number 502 which is on the 5th floor of the sanatorium is considered to be one of the most haunted parts of the Waverly hills sanatorium. It is said that a Head Nurse named Mary lee was killed by some medical staff along with a doctor in 1928.
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| Mary Lee |
She was hanged to death in Room no: 502 and it is said that her spirit roams in the room and the 5th floor of that hospital. Many people who entered here had claimed to encounter with the spirit of Mary.
This photo was taken on the 5th floor of Waverly Hills Sanatorium years ago.
Death Tunnel (Body chute)
There is a 500 feet concrete tunnel under the sanatorium that connects the hospital's basement to the other side of the hill. One side of the tunnel has a concrete staircase and the other inclined side was made for bringing the supplies to the hospital.
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| Body Chute, by Aaron Vowels, licensed under CC BY 2.0 |
By 1925 Waverly hills mortality grew very high that it is said that a person was dying every hour in the sanatorium and the hospital staff had to remove the dead bodies quickly. Sometimes dead bodies were even put in the food cold storage due to the high amount of corpses and to preserve it from decomposing. But when the mortality rate grew even higher and to empty the morgue, bodies were carried outside through this tunnel at night time. Sometimes the dead bodies were left in the tunnel.
Some people call this tunnel as "Death Tunnel". Some ghost hunters reported seeing shadowy figures in this tunnel and people who came here claimed that they had some scary experience in this tunnel. Like Room No:502 this tunnel is also considered a scary part of this hospital.
Ghost of Timmy O'Shea
Waverly hills sanatorium had a children's pavilion where children with TB were treated. Not only the infected children but also children of the patients who were admitted in the sanatorium cared in here.
children's pavilion was on the 5th floor of the sanatorium but it was near the ward of the mental patients. The roof of the building had a play area where children and 10 years old Timmy was one of those children.
Timmy's parents were admitted to this sanatorium and Timmy was forced to live in the children's pavilion.
Timmy loved to play with the ball with the nurses. Unfortunately one day Timmy fell down from the 5th floor of the hospital while playing with a ball and died. But some people also that Timmy was pushed from the fifth floor by a mental patient. However, this wasn't proved in the investigation that Timmy was pushed from the 5th floor. It is said that Timmy's ghost still roams in the sanatorium and people claimed to hear the sounds of the ball on the 5th floor.
Creeper of the Waverly Hills
Many people who visited this sanatorium have claimed to encounter a demonic creature. People call this creature "Creeper". People who claimed to have encountered this creature said that the presence of creatures makes them feel negative and anxious. Paranormal investigators said that creeper is a demonic entity and most of the sightings of this creature were reported from the halls of the first floor of the sanatorium.
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