waverly hills sanatorium death records

The Filson Historical Society holds a wide range of collections documenting individual experiences of tuberculosis and collective efforts to manage the disease. 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 official estimates were admitted at more than 60,000 individuals died from TB or some of the questionable treatments utilized as attempted cures for the ailment. One story has it that in 1928, one of the nurses, Mary Hillenburg, hung herself in room 502. Kentucky. What are the most haunted places in Kentucky? In 1962 the hospital was purchased by the state and used as a nursing home. The warm, wet weather in Kentucky near the Ohio River was a breeding place for bacteria, and insects often helped to spread disease. The search began for a proper location to constructed the much needed facility. A city in and of itself, complete with its own zip code. This calm grassy field was once a Superfund site full of thousands of nasty chemicals. 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. These include nineteenth-century correspondence, diaries, and medical publications in which Kentuckians wrote of debilitating symptoms and possible treatments. With little knowledge of how to fight the illness, the creators of Waverly Hills based their treatment on quarantine, fresh air, and a positive attitude. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Some have reported seeing shapes near the window in room 502 and even a voice saying, Get out.. Its said that the state shut it down due to reports of improper care and physical abuse of the elderly patients there. Treatment for tuberculosis, an infectious bacterial disease . 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. This list does not included patient data from the geriatric center after inpatient tuberculosis treatment had stopped. Microfilm rolls #7016130-7041803. 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. 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 homeless man and his dog supposedly fell down the elevator shaft when the building was vacant, and some have seen the. KDR - Kentucky Death RecordsS - SubmittedNP - NewspaperO - Other20 The most common treatment was simply bed rest in the, One fairly horrific procedure used on TB patients before medication was available was called. Over the following years, Waverly would become a nearly self contained community. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Today, the building is spooky enough to give anyone chills. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. History 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. It has been estimated that the death tunnel actually saw more dead people than most modern hospitals do in its first three years. Today, it stands today as a monument in the fight against the . This tunnel has likely seen more death than most modern hospitals. 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. The tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis was identified in an Egyptian mummy that dated back to 3000 BCE. Sincerely, Waverly In this procedure, nitrogen is injected into the lungs, forcing them to collapse. . Ms Harris had a fondness for author Walter Scotts Waverley novels, and she received Hays permission to name the schoolhouse the Waverley School. Since then, it has become a popular destination for paranormal investigators. After World War II, the need for a TB sanatorium waned until the hospital closed in 1961. As no reason has been given for why she would have committed suicide, rumor is, she was actually pushed. A new wing was built that year to accommodate those patients in advanced stages. I am somewhat a cliche'. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. 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. At the same time they also reveal stark racial disparities in mortality rates and institutional treatment. 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. Located just outside of Elizabethtown, Kasey Cemetery is so haunted, its known as the Gates of Hell. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky. Louisville, KY, is home to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, which many people believe is one of the most haunted places on Earth. Several people have claimed shadowy figures have peered around corners at them. Waverly Hills isnt the only haunted tunnel around. Our objective is the facts as we are a resource. If you want to visit, make your plans early! Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, or "the white plague" , had a. The owner (Tina) and a security guard say theyve seen lights turn on in this room while they were outside. Troy Taylor from the American Ghost Society claims, on his website, that he saw the man in the white coat disappear into a treatment room on the 4th floor during his first trip to WHS, shortly after the Mattinglys purchased the property. The new Sanatarium was officially opened July 26, 1910. No, it is actually a long tunnel with flooring. Tina and Charlie Mattingly bought the property in 2001 with the aim of completely restoring it. 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. Letter-writers described the symptoms of consumption, such as drenching night sweats, constant coughing, lack of appetite, weakness, and swollen extremities. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky opened in 1910 to treat tuberculosis patients. 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. The following index contains recorded patient deaths at Waverly Hills between 1911-1960. They would not be subjected to seeing dead patients taken away for burial/burning. All proceeds benefit the restoration project. If you can correct us on anything we have posted, please do so. Other accounts tell of ghostly appearances by a little girl named Mary and a little boy named Bobby in other areas of the hospital. will be confirmed information either by photograph, news article, and/ or historical archive of some kind. Respect all signs posted and never trespass on private property. The SciFi Channel series returned to Kentucky and did a live broadcast on Halloween night. 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. Vital Statistics Original Death Certificates Microfilm (1911-1964). 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. The tunnels main purpose was to protect the morale of other patients. It's a place where the smell of death is hidden, and where the painful screams are still in the air. The assumed number of total deaths at Waverly Hills sanitorium has been wildly inflated over the years; some have said the number is approximately 63,000. To learn more about the Historical Society, see the Historical Society section under About. With the discovery of a new antibiotic, Streptomyc in 1943, there was finally a way to combat Tuberculosis . After the geriatric center closed down, various owners considered turning the building into a number of things, including a jail and. From Alabama to Wyoming, there are abandoned towns, amusement parks, and ruins lurking in your home state. 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. 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. & W.G.C. In 1907, the Louisville Tuberculosis Association established Hazelwood Sanatorium for the treatment of white patients from any part of Kentucky, even before Waverly Hills Sanatorium opened, in 1910, for city and county residents. Thank you! for all the names listed and to be listed. Waverly Hills Sanatorium We now have a patient death index for patients that died at Waverly Hills starting in 1911. Vandalized, damaged, nearly condemned. The Mattinglys have established the Waverly Hills Historical Society in an effort to raise funds to help restore the interior of the old sanatorium. 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. Powered by www.tripod.com & Ain (01) Allier (03) Ardche (07) Cantal (15) Drme (26) Love Kentucky? Tuberculosis and Waverly Hills Sanatorium in the Filsons Collections, The Filson Historical Society and Cincinnati Museum Center. Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages, Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Mokele-Mbembe, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Stories from the Collection of Ryan and Regina Cohn, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Satanists, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Gourds Gone Wild: Growing and Crafting Gourds With Gourdlandia, Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher, Secrets of Tarot Reading: History & Practice With T. Susan Chang, Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake. Frank J. Stewart served as the assistant medical director and as a physician at the sanatorium up until the 1950s. Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, or "the white plague", had a high mortality rate before streptomycin was introduced as a treatment in 1943. Waverly Hills Sanatorium once housed hundreds, perhaps thousands of tuberculosis patients during a major, years-long outbreak in Jefferson County, Kentucky the building that still stands today is said to be haunted by those who died there. Offer subject to change without notice. The massive structure looms large in the history of tuberculosis in Louisville, but it was not the only means of combating the citys high rates of the disease. This list includes only patients that died at the hospital. 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 the film, five college girls fulfill an initiation rite by spending the night in the haunted institution. However it wouldnt be until 1949 when Streptomycin would be available to the patients at Waverly Hills. 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. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Once a state-of-the-art tuberculosis treatment spa, these ruins are now ruled by paintball players. 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. Please click here to view the index. The statue would have been based on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, only 20 feet taller. 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 . Spookiest Stories Ever: Four Seasons of Kentucky Ghosts, Tuberculosis (also known as TB, consumption, the White Death, or the White Plague) is a highly communicable bacterial infection contracted by breathing in air containing. A total of 63,000 people lost their lives up until 1961, the year when the hospital was closed. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.. As the outbreak spread, the facility needed to be expanded and, in 1912, the larger building was built and patients from a number of surrounding hospitals were transferred to the facility. 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. Even with many new procedures available, it was impossible to save everyone. TB - Tuberculosis PatientG - Geriatric Patient US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Are they real, or arent they, that is the question? this website are the property of their respective owners or Waverly Hills Memorial & Historical Research Groupand Many people claimed that the souls of the people who died in the hospital were still wandering in the corridors. mentioned or used within this website are the property of their respective owners or Waverly Hills Memorial & Historical Research Groupand During the late 1800s, roughly one in five deaths (20%) was attributed to tuberculosis. It has a somewhat mysterious and sinister past. 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? 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. If you can correct us on anything we have posted, please do so. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. 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. 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. There have been reported ghost sightings in Room 502 at the sanatorium, particularly the ghost of a nurse in uniform. They were buried by passing through the death tunnel. 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. It opened as a 40 room hospital and they found that they needed to add on very quickly. Edward A. Arthur Waverly Hills photograph collection, 019PC9, Filson Historical Society. The most common treatment at the time was sunlight, fresh air, and nutritious food. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Contributed by Phil Tkacz, Shawn Logan, Jay Gravatte, & Hope Bryant | contact@kyhi.org. They found themselves stuck in a room whose door would not open and shadowy figures appeared in the room. If the bacteria did become an infection, there was an 80% chance of death at that time. In 1961, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed because there was no longer a need for a tuberculosis facility. There are two legends concerning the room: a nurse committed suicide by jumping out the window, and a nurse who hanged herself in room 502 because she was single and pregnant. A new sanatorium opened on October 17, 1926 that could accommodate 400-500 patients. Please now use the Bobby Nichols Golf Course Gate entrance at 4400 Paralee Drive off of East Pages Lane. mentioned or used within The sanatorium was established in the early 20th century to help deal with an outbreak of the then-incurable disease tuberculosis. All information contained in this website Even with the building of additional pavilions, space for patients was consistently at a minimal. Hays later sold the land to the Board of Tuberculosis Hospital, and they built the sanatorium there, adopting the name, to house a rapidly increasing number of tuberculosis patients. At the time, Tuberculosis was a very serious disease. Waverly Hills Memorial During the World War, the U.S. found the tunnel to be safe in the case of an attack. Some of the names were difficult if not impossible to read. & W.G.C. The tunnel itself was originally 525 feet long and ran out to the bottom of the hill. Movies were shown and crafts were made to keep patients in high spirits. When the plans fell through due to funding problems, Alberhasky, upset that the remaining building was protected by the Historical Register, tried to have the building condemned. but patients families still visited them on designated visitors days, lol. We do not have access to records of any patients from Waverly Hills and we cannot accommodate any requests at this time. This list includes only patients that died at the hospital. What makes this tunnel in Kentucky stand out from the others? 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. There are many reports of the infamous shadow people of Waverly Hills. 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. - 1920 Census Report30 - 1930 Census Report (I to L) Patients of W.H.S. The Halloween season draws much larger crowds and lots of fright enthusiasts. We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. 2023 Project MUSE. It had its own post office, water treatment facility, grew its own fruits and vegetables, raised its own meat for slaughter, and maintained many of the other necessities of everyday life. Charlie claims John told him he was one of the people who found the nurse and confirmed that there had been a lot of blood and a baby -- and that because it was so taboo at the time, the death wouldnt have been recorded. This company operated the nursing home facility until 1982 when it was closed by the state for violations and the mistreatment of patients. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, Waverly Hills was the place to come for treatment. Surgical intervention, including removal of ribs and/or parts of the lungs, was reserved for patients close to death. ome improvement began to present itself in those who spent a restful retreat in the mountains. The same problems persisted, as well as suicides of the patients. Everyone at Waverly patients, nurses, doctors, and other employees had to say goodbye to everything they knew on the outside world. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Plans are underway for an on site memorial In 1962, the building reopened as a nursing home that eventually became known as Woodhaven Medical Services, a geriatric facility. The numbers are hard to believe, however. In fact, it has been called one of the most haunted places in the world Room 502 (Real location, unsubstantiated myths). 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! They do this through offering tours, am annual haunted house held on the main buildings first floor, as well hosting private events in the restored laundry room. Today, it stands today as a monument in the fight against the dreaded disease. In 1912, patients in advanced stages of infection were moved from from the City Hospital to Waverly Hills Sanatorium. 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. In turn, he renamed his property Waverley Hill. Nestled on the top of a placid hill, the old Waverly Hills Sanatorium once tried to heal tuberculosis with peace and good vibes. Welcome to the Official Waverly Hills/ Woodhaven memorial & historical resource site. In 1883, Major Thomas Hercules Hays, who had served in the Confederate army during the Civil War and fought at the. (A to D) Patients of W.H.S. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville opened in 1910 to accommodate tuberculosis patients. WoodHaven Medical was closed by the state in 1981. Estimates vary, and records have been destroyed, but there may have been as many as 64,000 deaths at Waverly Sanatorium. What are the creepiest cemeteries in Kentucky? 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. In 1961, the hospital finally closed its doors. Let's see what might have caused all these tragic deaths. The structure served a lot of purposes throughout history, but the most significant one was when it was a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients from 1910 to 1961. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. 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).
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