I never got to see the Greystone Kirkbride building in person.This news is so sad and doesn’t even make financial sense! It is such a shame that the government is spending nearly $35 million to demolish a building that private corporations would have saved. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. This is how the State of New Jersey thinks it should manage taxpayers’ funds? Really? Unbelievable!
The abandoned Glenn Dale Hospital in Maryland would be on my wish list of places to explore if it was cleaned up a little and open to the public. I know, an urban explorer I am not!
http://www.wtop.com/541/3718241/Ghost-Tales-Inside-Glenn-Dale-Hospital
As you might imagine, as the author of Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums, I like to keep up with the news on which abandoned asylums are being repurposed and opening to the public. I get so excited thinking about the history and architecture of the buildings being preserved! For me, my initial interest has always gone back to the thrill of just exploring a magnificent, historical building. Are these buildings haunted? Yes, in the sense of having stories and a rich history. Sometimes we can just appreciate art and architecture for what they are and put the ghost stories on hold.
The asylum conversions that I am most excited to see are:
1. Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane – Buffalo, New York:
This is a Kirkbride building from the late 1800’s that is being repurposed for a hotel and conference center. They are still doing events while the conversion is going on. I have tried twice to get up there to Buffalo and take an in-depth tour, but I keep having flight issues getting out of Atlanta!
2. Fergus Falls State Hospital – Fergus Falls, Minnesota:
Another Kirkbride that is being saved by Historic Properties, Inc. If all goes according to plan, the hotel that is planned will open in December 2015. This will be a mixed use development, which will include restaurants and apartments.
3. Traverse City State Hospital – Traverse City, Michigan:
The Minervini Group has truly made The Village at Grand Traverse Commons a community. This is quite possibly the gold standard for asylum conversions. They have created a live/work community with park space, biking and hiking trails, and even a farmers market! If I moved to Michigan, I would SO live here.
4. Danvers State Asylum – Danvers, Massachusetts:
The former Danvers State Asylum was converted into apartments in 2008. The asylum is perhaps most famous for the movie Session 9.
5. Lakeville State Hospital – Lakeville, Massachusetts:
This is one that is purportedly still up for sale at a cool $7 million.
6. Fairfield Hills State Hospital – Newtown, Connecticut:
Commercial opportunities are abundant over on the Fairfield Hills campus. The public is welcome and hiking trails are available to enjoy.
Links:
http://www.richardson-olmsted.com/
Plans underway to repurpose an historic treatment center in Fergus Falls
http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2008/06/avalon-danvers-apartments-nee-danvers.html
http://www.bozzuto.com/apartments/communities/630-halstead-danvers/media
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/NEWS/305200317
http://fairfieldhills.org/property.html
I am very excited about Ryan Dunn’s book that is coming out in March 2015. The book is entitled Savannah’s Afterlife: True Tales of a Paranormal Investigator. In addition to being an author and paranormal investigator, Ryan also operates Afterlife Tours in historic Savannah, Georgia. He was kind enough to let us tag along on an 8:00 tour last Friday night.
The locations we visited included: Twelve West Oglethorpe, the Foley House, Savannah Theatre, Colonial Cemetery, the Olde Pink House, and Moon River Brewery. Since moving to Savannah a year ago, I have been captivated several times by the old dilapidated home at Twelve West Oglethorpe.
I have heard many various stories about the home, but Ryan’s tour is unique in the fact that he has not only personally investigated each location, he has actually done extensive research with the Georgia Historical Society and other sources to tell the truth about the history of the locations. He is not just standing on a corner spouting recounts of local legends. He’s telling visitors what the documents actually show. I respect that a lot.
The other unique characteristic about how he runs his tours is that he shares evidence that he’s personally collected during investigations. You may see a combination of photographs, videos, and hear Class “A” EVPs.
Ryan has been featured on A&E’s My Ghost Story.
Five Questions for Ryan Dunn:
What made you interested in the field?
I became interested in the field when I moved into a haunted house here in Savannah’s Historic District in April of 2010. I began doing paranormal research as a hobby, but soon started catching very compelling evidence. It soon became a full time business and also evolved into a ghost tour company too.
Any dream locations to investigate?
My dream locations would be 432 Abercorn Street here in Savannah, Waverly Hills Sanitarium in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Winchester Mystery House in California just to name a few.
Can you talk about the pilot you are filming at Central State Asylum in Milledgeville, Georgia?
The upcoming investigation in Milledgeville will be a filming of a pilot for a new paranormal show based here in Savannah that we will be pitching to national networks as part of a 5 episode package. We intend to embody the flare of Savannah itself and the fact we live in the paranormal hotspot of the United States. Not only do we do investigations, but we live this day to day.
Do you have a favorite place to investigate in Savannah?
One of my favorite places to investigate in Savannah is the Savannah Theatre because we always capture great evidence there. Also, the Moon River Brewery always gives us great results too. We will be doing our 8th investigation there on October 19.
Any plans for a second book?
I am currently conducting research for a sequel, and intend to began writing that one this fall.
Thank you to Ryan for having us out. I am particularly interested in getting an update about the Central Asylum investigation!
Further reading:
http://www.afterlifetours.net/
http://www.schifferbooks.com/savannahs-afterlife-true-tales-of-a-paranormal-investigator-5639.html
https://www.facebook.com/3DGhostHunters
http://savannahnow.com/accent/2013-12-14/savannahs-very-own-ghostbusters#.VAuAlcJ0xMs
I’m with her. I want to be excited about this news, but a big part of me is just saddened by it. Charles Mattingly has confirmed (http://www.wdrb.com/story/24854652/waverly-hills-the-hotel)that the fourth floor will remain intact, so that is something at least. Still, you can’t blame them for being capitalists.
Postcard from Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Coming Soon: Hotel Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Charlie and Tina Mattingly, current owners of the infamous Waverly Hills Sanatorium, located at 4400 Paralee Lane, Louisville, Kentucky, announced plans to open a 4-star, 120-room hotel catering to the paranormal connoisseur. But would I book a room?
First, a little history:
Major Thomas H. Hays purchased the property in 1883. He built a modest schoolhouse and hired Miss Lizzie Lee Harris to educate his children. Miss Harris christened the schoolhouse “Waverley School” because of her fondness for Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels. Major Hays renamed the entire estate Waverley Hills. When the Board of Tuberculosis purchased the land, they kept the name but changed the spelling to “Waverly.”
Tuberculosis (TB) was known as “The White Plague.” It ran rampant in the early 1900s and prompted the opening of a sanatorium. In its heyday, the 2-story Waverley Hills accommodated…
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In East Bethany, New York, there is a former poor farm by the name of Rolling Hills Asylum. This is the place that started it all as far as the inspiration for Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums. I thought I would share some of my old photos here.
Shadow hallway:
The morgue:
For more about our adventures at Rolling Hills Asylum, please visit: http://listverse.com/2014/01/26/10-creepy-ghost-hunt-venues/
I wish we would have had more time in Mansfield to explore and investigate the Bissman Building. This is a private building, though, and not generally accessible to the public. They have a website up now that would seem to indicate they let teams come in and ghost hunt.
Legends talk of a murdered child spirit, and her alleged murderer who was later decapitated by an elevator.
http://www.hauntedbissmanbuilding.com/The_Bissman_Building/Welcome.html
Summer in Salt Lake City. Park City was just a few miles away, so I jumped at the chance to do something I will probably never do again the rest of my life. That’s see the mountain without snow. I rode a ski lift up Park City’s main lift! Due to time constraints, I did not hike back down, though.
Ruth’s Diner is a must, nestled down in the valley and just perfect even if the mountains don’t compete to steal the show.
Red Iguana was another great place to eat. This time we were after local Mexican fare, and this joint was just the ticket.
Lastly, before going in for our ghost hunt at Tooele Hospital we explored a nearby ghost town, Ophir. This is a for real abandoned mining car, but I was not allowed anywhere near it. No one ever lets me do anything.
http://www.enjoyutah.org/2010/10/ghost-town-ophir.html
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