Had eerie feel to it. and its 100% no joke about cops patroling the place ive had at lest 4 times i thought for sure i was going to jail. While it was a neat cultural experience, we didnt stay long. Comprised of three graveyards, burials began soon after the institutions opening as there were deceased patients who were unclaimed by their families. 2005. The hospital grounds were designed by Herman Haerlin of Cincinnati. Winner will be selected at random on 05/01/2023. By 1981 the hospital housed fewer than 300 patients, numerous buildings stood abandoned, and over 300 acres were transferred to Ohio University. Members of the Athens, Ohio, chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, have worked to restore the three graveyards located on the grounds of The Ridges. Youd think having a couple rent a cops patrol there a little more frequently would have been a better solution then to tear down such a historical building that had so much presence and history in the area. I was arrested for being there one earley morning they tried to say I was a theif and was steeling. In 1874, Athens Lunatic Asylum opened in Athens, Ohio, taking in both those with mental disorders and the criminally insane. Built onto the back were a laundry room and boiler house. Of those, 700 women and 959 men lay under the headstones marked only with a number. Many mental institutions in the United States are said to be haunted and thus The Ridges from Athens, Ohio, is no exception to that. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Annual Report of the Trustees of Athens Lunatic Asylum to the Governor of the State of Ohio for the Year Ending Nov. 15, 1872. One of the most famous ghosts is that of Margaret Shilling, who left her body print upon the hospital floor. "There are 1,930 people buried at the three cemeteries located at the Ridges. At Athens, the ownership of a stable funding authority (Ohio University) has ensured restoration of much of the original grounds, as envisioned by the original planners, in a mixed-use university development called The Ridges. The cemetery is also said to be haunted by shadowy people and strange lights. Scam Advisory: Recent reports indicate that individuals are posing as the NEH on email and social media. The first iteration of the asylum consisted of only 141 acres (57ha) and over the years, grew to occupy over 1,000 acres (400ha) of land and 78 buildings. During its operation, the hospital provided services to a variety of patients including Civil War veterans, children, and those declared mentally unwell. ill post it on later if anyone wants to watch it. Do yourself a favour, buy a respirator and go have some fun. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was meant . Featured on TV's The Scariest Places on Earth, the asylum has long been a place of mystery and hauntings. Tour the famous Athens Asylum during its sesquicentennial year (1868-2018). Women were often institutionalized for unnecessary or outright fallacious reasons. Construction of the Athens Lunatic Asylum began in 1868 and concluded in 1873. These many spirits are thought to be those who died or suffered at the hands of staff in the asylum. been in there through most of the old buildings myself. The outline on floor is there tho. In the highly publicized court case, Milligan was found to have committed several felonies, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and three rapes on the Ohio State University campus. Do you know of anything still open I can walk thru the cemetary or anything? The asylum closed in 1993, and the property was bought by Ohio University. There was a petition prior to save it, but I think we only had a couple hundred names on it. The Ridges - previously known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum - is famous among Ohio University students. I will attempt to post it on this site. While at these hospitals, Milligan reported having ten different personalities. You are just letting everyone in lol. Rape/abuse etc. There were some patients who had died that were reunited with their families and buried in cemeteries around their homes. As I recall, the children had been horribly abused and there were many unexplained deaths in the orphanage. [6], By the 1980s the state no longer took care of the cemeteries which made it easy for outsiders to vandalize them. we were exploring one night and a group of drunk kids came in and i had to run after one that was about to walk right into a room missing the floor. we did Romeo and Juliet with the school of theatre there in 1978,, when it was still in use, we got to explore it at night, got caught by security trying to get into this chained up building at the top.did you also know that Billy Milligan was treated up there. -Ajay. Over the years, its name would be changed many times to the Athens State Hospital, the Southeastern Ohio Mental Health Center, the Athens Mental Health Center, the Athens Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center, and the Athens Mental Health and Developmental Center. At one point, the asylum was the largest employer in Ohio, despite the fact . Research began to show that the mentally ill did not pose an inherent danger to their communities. The first floor of the former administration building has an art gallery in it. At this time, its population peaked at nearly 2,000 patients, over three times its capacity. Many people were tortured and died there but I think all the storys are maid up. The hospital, first called the Athens Lunatic Asylum, officially began operations on January 9, 1874. (The one no one is supposed to be in) It was very cool to see the history in it. The practice ended when a federal court ruled in 1973 that patient labor had to be compensated with minimum wages and overtime. One of the pictures shows a dark figure in the hallway on the first floor. Mysterious Heartland For the female patients hospitalized during these first three years of the asylum's operation, the three leading causes of insanity are recorded as "puerperal condition" (51 women), "change of life" (32 women), and "menstrual derangements" (29 women). This park pays homage to the region's rich industrial history of brick making. it was once the womens ward.you can go in its basement, 3 floors, and attic, but the halls are so long and to turn a corner you enter another huge hall each floor is a maze. Even tho I had no property in my car I was a theif. Women with postpartum depression or "hysteria" were labeled insane and sent to recover in the institution. Id love to see this place! Originally called the Athens Lunatic Asylum, the only one of the Ohio mental hospitals which still stands in anything resembling original condition is the Athens Mental Health Center, now known as The Ridges. Epilepsy was considered a major cause of "insanity" and reason for admission to the hospital in the early years. Asylum and Community: connections between the Athens Lunatic Asylum and the village of Athens, 1867-1893. In accordance with the Kirkbride Plan, the main building was to include a central administration building with a wing for men on one side and a wing for women on the other, each with their own separate dining halls. An imprint of her clothes and hair are perfectly visible on the floor. Today, this complex, called the Ridges, is part of Ohio University, but these historic buildings once housed the Athens Lunatic Asylum. I had photos from 1963 of various types of fungus fly into me from a mysterious gust of wind inside of the complex. , Ryan, 2023 Atlas Obscura. They are ass holes to. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. diss., Ohio University . Asylum Ball (Indoor Costume Contest & Party) 6:00 pm to 1:00 am: 10/26/2023: Paranormal Tour: 10:30 pm to 12:30 . The building, now used as an art museum, was home to. The accompanying cemetery is the burial site of many patients, and many people have reported ghost sightings and unidentifiable screams there. The Athens Lunatic Asylum is also known as "The Ridges". George Eberts, long time Asylum employee and local expert on the Athens Asylum, will be leading an outdoor walking tour of the historic Asylum grounds and buildings. Within two years the asylum was renamed "The Athens Hospital . And therapies that are now discredited, such as lobotomies, hydrotherapy . I just found out about this site today and am so curious. The hospital finally closed its doors in 1993, having donated much of its property to Ohio University, who had already begun to renovate some of the buildings. Each floor of the asylum has a different style of window barrier. In 1858, construction began on a new mental health facility in Weston, West Virginia. Wasnt too bothered, just being there and seeing the cemetery was enough. Athens Asylum cemetery courtesy Encyclopedia of Forlorn Places. St. Mary's Asylum was isolated and abandoned before being converted into a Bed and Breakfast. 1994 paperback reprint of 1984 hardcover. A large high ceiling amusement hall filled the 2nd and 3rd floors, and a chapel was included on the 4th floor. Your email address will not be published. Fifty-six men and one woman were diagnosed as having their insanity caused by "intemperance and dissipation" during this same period of time. I am looking for someone who can assist me on scheduling a paranormal investigation for the Ridges. I stopped by today, and I didnt see an entrance that wasnt boarded up. The hospital, first called the Athens Lunatic Asylum, officially began operations on January 9, 1874. Today as renovations continue the old asylum has several uses, such as a daycare, art museum,art studios, surplus store, Biotech labs, OU Police Department, and education related uses. The grounds of the former asylum are still home to a few unusualand extremely eeriecemeteries. Tomes, Nancy. The place is built like a fortress. (2018). It is said to be haunted by many of the former patients and some staff. Or am I remembering a different Ohio institution ? The Ridges - Formerly the Athens Lunatic Asylum, The Ridges closed as a state mental institution in 1993. In the 1960s, the total square footage of the facility was recorded at 660,888 square feet. Kirkbride Plan asylums occupy a unique niche in the culture. There are regal buildings overlooking town, and the sprawling grounds originally had a park-like setting, with gorgeous ponds, gardens, and fountains - the beauty in stark contrast to the history of what happened to some of those who were taken to the . One of the three burial grounds for the Athens Lunatic Asylum. The asylum opened up in 1874 and could hold 572 patients then. The history of mental illness, womens rights, the evolution of medical treatments, and old architecture.. Source: "Index to Hospital Reports" covering c. 1830-1896. My team Clyde Paranormal Investigation would love this opportunity and a few already know about this location. Was an eerie experience. Archives on the asylum show that hydrotherapy, electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and psychotropic drugs were all used as treatments. With the original Athens Lunatic Asylum situated on a hill south of the Hocking River and the newer hospital on the north bank of the river, the two facilities are still within sight of each other. . It is now known as The Ridges and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Everyone knew that, despite the large number of disturbed individuals residing there, The Ridges was a calm peaceful place, where patients benefited from fountains and picnics on the beautiful grounds. I have been inside the main building. My email is messed up rite now. Located in Athens, Ohio, it first opened in 1874. By the 1950s the hospital was the town's largest employer, with 1,800 patients on a 1,019-acre, 78-building campus. Though the facility would never be fully self-sustaining, over the years, the grounds would include livestock, farm fields and gardens, an orchard, greenhouses, a dairy, a receiving hospital, a Tubercular Ward, a physical plant to generate steam heat, and even a carriage shop in the earlier years. Hi bro can you send me the vedio please. Added by cinapelayo. The historic hospital got its start in 1867 when the Ohio Legislature appointed a commission to find a site for an asylum in southeastern Ohio. Offer subject to change without notice. The first annual report lists thirty-one men and nineteen women as having their insanity caused by epilepsy. Required fields are marked *. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc. 2006. If you are in College, take time in the evening to check the place out. I found a lot of neat information from numerous websites however i need more! I kept and still have the photos. The Mental Medical Centre opened here on January 9th 1874 and it specialized in the treatment of criminally and mentally insane patients. Good pictures i heard lot of horror stories avoir that place glad psyc medicine has advanced! Trust me, they want your money. A particular interest of mine, (more than the stain) is a Mozaic Swastika on the floor, in one of the larger rooms. Under private ownership, abandoned Kirkbrides often languished unmaintained and unsecured, slowly being reclaimed by nature, as with Hudson River State Hospital in New York. The Athens Center officially closed in 1993, and the remaining patients transferred to another facility. Wikipedia Athens Asylum The Mental Medical Centre opened here on January 9th 1874 and it specialized in the treatment of criminally and mentally insane patients. In the basement, Ill never forget walking past a series of concrete cells, with metal bars and fixed metal rings to chain someone or something to. the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal.It is just downstream of the Danube Gorge, towering above its lower end. "[7] "Since nearly the time of the opening of the cemeteries the State of Ohio has allowed families to erect private markers at the graves of their loved ones, There are very few graves marked in such a way, most likely because descendants are unaware of the opportunity. The striking domed roof of the theatre building on the asylum grounds. However, once come sundown I experienced something paranormal. It was very interesting and we got to take a tour of the closed parts of the buidings. Not only are these buildings steeped in history, but some are also said to still host visitors from the past. Powered by. The students have gotten used to them, well, kind of. Kirkbrides featured lots of natural light and airflow. This facility became a hub for inhumane medical practices, including lobotomies, electroshock and the abuse of psychotropic drugs. During its active years tens. There were a number of services offered to individuals who required them. Myths and mystery surround a well-known site in southern Ohio, The Athens Lunatic Asylum. I went there at 3 am as a result of a overheating car and was approached by a Athens pd officer and was told I was steeling. The farm provided therapy for patients to help them forget their problems, he said. The subject inevitably arose, however, at public talks organized around the exhibit. The white stone temple sits on a massive foundation with 358 steps that lead down to a boat landing on the Danube. Like a few others on this list, the medical staff at Athens were . These men are: William Carroll, grave #833, Corporal, World War I, 330th Inf., Co. G and 30th Inf., Co. D. Joseph Duvall, grave #213, Private . For the female patients hospitalized during these first three years of the asylums operation, the three leading causes of insanity are recorded as puerperal condition (relating to childbirth), change of life, and menstrual derangements. According to an 1876 report, the leading cause of insanity among male patients was masturbation. Wikipedia Billy Milligan, Legends, Ghosts, Myths and Mysteries Main Page, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. Today the Ridges may be considered the largest and most complete example of a kirkbride still standing. Built in southeast Ohio after the Civil War, the asylum embodied the nineteenth-century "gold standard" specifications of moral treatment. You may have to walk around a few times to find it. Growing up in Athens, as a rite of passage, one has to at least have explored the entire place at night by the age of 18. Annual Report of the Athens Hospital for the Insane to the Governor of the State of Ohio for the Year 1876. The other week, I ran into a friend who recently graduated from OU, and when the conversation turned to spooky things (summer is a classic time to tell ghost stories, after all) he told me about a particularly creepy part of The Ridges' lore. Some of Haerlin's other landscape designs are seen in Cincinnati's Spring Grove Cemetery and the Oval on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus.[3]. Levi T. Scofield was the architect. ALABAMA. In 1977, Athens Asylum made news when it housed multiple personality rapist Billy Milligan. Any truth to it ? The Athens Lunatic Asylum was a mental hospital operational in Athens, Ohio from 1874 until 1993. I have personally taken over 20 groups up and through the facility with no problem. Easier said than done, especially with so many raucous fraternity houses nearby, local Halloween celebrations that attract thousands, and all manner of dares and double-dares that go on. Kirkbride Plan asylums are most recognizably characterized by the staggered "bat-wing" floor plan of their wards, High Victorian Gothic architecture, and their sprawling grounds. even being around the outside of the building at dark is grounds for tresspassing there. 4. Why did they tear it down? The stones marking where patients were buried were in desperate need of repair. Several other strange things have happened at The Ridges, besides the cruel treatment applied to the patients. I walked the outside of the building today, came across the door youre talking about, somewhere by the a/d corner. The design of the buildings and grounds were influenced by Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, a 19th-century physician who authored an influential treatise on hospital design called On the Construction, Organization and General Arrangements of Hospitals for the Insane. What was once the Athens Lunatic Asylum is now known as The Ridges, and it's owned by (and a neighbor to) Ohio University, but parts of the facility still hold shadows, stains and spirits of former mental patients who often suffered from violent treatments such as lobotomies. 1873. When is the best time to try to get into here to explore? Columbus: Nevins & Myers, State Printers. During its operation, the hospital provided services to a variety of patients including Civil War veterans, children, and violent criminals suffering from various mental disabilities. LOL we always got scared and left before seeing or hearing much. 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