Early-twentieth-century scrapbooks and organizational records chronicle public health measures and tuberculosis facilities in Louisville and other parts of the state. The Filson Historical Society holds a wide range of collections documenting individual experiences of tuberculosis and collective efforts to manage the disease. See. The area known today as Waverly Hill was purchased by Major Thomas H. Hays in 1883 as the Hays family home. This tunnel has likely seen more death than most modern hospitals. Plans are underway for an on site memorial On this grand tour, visitors can get the historical tales of the tunnel's actual purpose. 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. We wouldnt want you to end up in the hospital, or worse, jail. The numbers are hard to believe, however. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. The Beginnings of industrialism, as well as geographic make-up were contributing factors. 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 includes only patients that died at the hospital. The statue, which was inspired by the famedstatue of Christ onCorcovadoMountain inRio de Janeiro, would have been designed by local Louisville sculptorEd Hamiltonand architect Jasper Ward. 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 1920 & 1930 census reports were all hand written. (M to P) 2025. 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. The current owners of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium use the derelict space as a haunted attraction, staging horror houses in the fall and running ghost tours the rest of the year. Eventually Hays property was chosen for several reasons; its distance from the city, its picturesque tranquil view, as well as its high altitude with increased air flow. 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. This calm grassy field was once a Superfund site full of thousands of nasty chemicals. Even with many new procedures available, it was impossible to save everyone. WHS: Patient Death Index - Kentucky Historic Institutions Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! We do not own all of the materials on this website/blog. publications, etc do not reflect the views of The Waverly Hills Historical Society, Inc. Contributed by Phil Tkacz, Shawn Logan, Jay Gravatte, & Hope Bryant | contact@kyhi.org. 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. Fewer than 5% of patients initially survived. No, it is actually a long tunnel with flooring. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. Our objective is to provide a resource and a memorial for all the building and the people whose lives made Waverly Hills isnt the only haunted tunnel around. 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. Built in 1910 to combat tuberculosis, the 180,000 sqft, deeply haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium has seen thousands of deaths and many ghosts. When the visit was over, the visitors left Waverly and ventured back out into the community. After being vacant for almost a year, the building was reopened in 1962 asWoodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home primarily treating aging patients with various stages of dementia and mobility limits, as well as the severely mentally handicapped. If you can correct us on anything we have posted, please do so. Doctors and Staff of Waverly Hills Sanatorium / Woodhaven - Tripod Later it was leased to a private nursing firm and the name was changed to Woodhaven Geriatric Center. It was considered very state-of-the-art for its day. Bodies were not dumped but rather carried down the tunnel to the bottom of the hill, where they could be collected by a hearse, as there was no cemetery at the hospital. During the TB years, this tunnel was also used to transport the dead, so they wouldn't be seen by other patients. Tuberculosis was becoming an epidemic in Valley Station, Pleasure Ridge Park, and other parts of Jefferson County in Kentucky. The 400-bed hospital that opened in 1926 at Waverly Hills Sanatorium. The Mattinglys have established the Waverly Hills Historical Society in an effort to raise funds to help restore the interior of the old sanatorium. This former tuberculosis treatment facility now stands at the center of a public park. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. It has a somewhat mysterious and sinister past. No purchase necessary. The only building in Louisville (hopefully) that contains two ancient holy skeletons. In the first few years of possession, the Mattinglys removed the asbestos and replaced 100 broken windows. The path towards the light connected to the main building via a railway system on the first floor of the original hospital. Waverly Hills Sanatorium We now have a patient death index for patients that died at Waverly Hills starting in 1911. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed in 1961; it was first quarantined and then renovated. Records have been lost, but it is estimated that tens of thousands died at Waverly. In later years, the property was repeatedly vandalized, and landowners didnt seem to care much about upkeep on the building -- which was nearly condemned. 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. What's so scary about Waverly Hills Sanatorium? Get to know a haunted Another of Todds plans was the refurbishing of the building into apartments, this also feel through due to lack of funding. In mechanical drawings from 1924 and 1962, however, this room is labeled the Transformer Room, and it clearly appears to be an electrical room. Please click here to view the index. No matter the good vibes the site espoused, it still ended up as place to scare people. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Metro Council clears the way for Waverly Hills to become hotel can not be used in any means without written persmission from the owner of the media. However it wouldnt be until 1949 when Streptomycin would be available to the patients at Waverly Hills. The Waverly Hills Historical Society continue to work tirelessly and devote their lives to restoring the historic gem that is Waverly Hills to its once amazing splendor! Official Waverly Hills Sanatorium/ Woodhaven Geriatric Center Memorial & Historical Resource, Dear Reader / Researcher, Welcome to the Official Waverly Hills/ Woodhaven memorial & historical The following year, most of the land on which the buildings sat were auctioned off, and the main hospital building, several remaining facilities, as well as 40 acres were purchased by Simpsonville developer J. Clifford Todd, at a cost of $3,000,5,000. 2023 Project MUSE. Even with many new procedures available, it was impossible to save everyone. Over the following years, Waverly would become a nearly self contained community. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium death tunnel in Kentucky has an interesting history, and you can read more about it in our previous article. 9 Reasons The Waverly Hills Death Tunnel In Kentucky Is Unique 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. Laundry facilities, a maintenance garage, butchery, as well as several hundred acres of farm land were established on the Hill.. Letter-writers described the symptoms of consumption, such as drenching night sweats, constant coughing, lack of appetite, weakness, and swollen extremities. In 1926, the massive building seen today opened its doors to accommodate another 450 beds. This building would stand at the forefront of America's fight against the deadly disease, Tuberculosis. The empty building was purchased by a number of buyers in the following years, but nothing ever saw fruition. A chute was built to aid in disposing dead bodies in such a way that the sick did not have to see them leaving. Once a state-of-the-art tuberculosis treatment spa, these ruins are now ruled by paintball players. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly_Hills_Sanatorium, http://paranormal.about.com/od/hauntedplaces/ig/World-s-Most-Haunted-Place/Waverly-Hills-Sanatorium.htm, http://practicalwanderlust.com/2016/09/louisville-kentucky-a-locals-guide-to-visiting-fall.html. 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. Sanatoriums were built on high hills surrounded by peaceful woods to create a serene atmosphere to help the patients recover. Cemeteries often become the center for ghost stories and spooky tales, and there are several haunted cemeteries in Kentucky youll want to check out if youre in the mood to do a little paranormal investigating. Over the following years the population of Waverly began to decrease until it closed in June 1961. After careful planning, Construction began on a new 5-story brick and concrete Sanatoriumin March 1924. A four-story stone and brick Tudor Gothic revival style building, once part of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, still stands in 2021 as a tourist site and as a testament to struggles with a deadly disease. 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. A homeless man and his dog supposedly fell down the elevator shaft when the building was vacant, and some have seen the. Eddie Murphys Kids: Everything We Know About His 10 Kids, Is Vampire Diaries Coming Back? Since any existing schools were a good distance away, Hays decided to establish a sone room school house for his children to attendand hired Ms. Lizzie Lee Harris as the teacher. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The Board decided to keep the name Waverly, as it had a peaceful sound to it. It has been estimated that the death tunnel actually saw more dead people than most modern hospitals do in its first three years. Waverly Hills Memorial In 1961, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed because there was no longer a need for a tuberculosis facility. The massive, collegiate, gothic style Sanatorium that you see in the 1926 photo (above) remains standing on Waverly Hill, today. The Midwestern United States' tribute to Michelangelo is a foam statue sprayed with gaudy gold paint. this website are the property of their respective owners or Waverly Hills Memorial & Historical Research Groupand Waverly Hills Memorial Horror For an initiation stunt, five college women are locked in a Kentucky hospital built in 1910 where 63,000 people died from a disease known as the "white plague". Alberhaskys plan fell through, as only $3,000 was raised in a year. Tuberculosis, also known as consumption, or "the white plague", had a high mortality rate before streptomycin was introduced as a treatment in 1943. 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. The Haunted Hospital | Mental Floss What makes this tunnel in Kentucky stand out from the others? 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. It was also a disease that could end in a painful death. (The myth was further spread by Tina. 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This list is organized by date of death and not by name. It also shows a special department where the (presumably uninfected) children of adult sanatorium patients lived and were taken care of. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. We do not have access to records of any patients from Waverly Hills and we cannot accommodate any requests at this time. After Alberhaskys efforts failed, Waverly Hills was sold to Tina and Charlie Mattingly in 2001. 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. 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. Are they real, or arent they, that is the question? 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. Today, the building is spooky enough to give anyone chills. 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. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Not much was known scientifically about tuberculosis at that point -- but it was clearly very contagious, and it was common practice to quarantine TB patients away from the population. 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 is made with concrete all around, which makes this tunnel of nightmares a very sturdy structure. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. 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. Tuberculosis became a major concern in Kentucky around the turn of the 20th century. 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 beginning of the 20th century Louisville Kentucky had the one of highest rate of tuberculosis deaths in the United States. 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. As the state of the patients worsened, people began to die in the facility on an almost-daily basis. Thank you! The number of shrouded bodies being taken away from the building began to have a dramatic effect on the morale of the victims, which was hugely problematic since this was the cornerstone of treatment. In 1908, ground was broken on what would become known as Waverly Hills Sanatorium (no one is quite sure when or how the second e was dropped from Waverly). Hauntings of Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Amy's Crypt In March 1996, Robert Alberhasky bought Waverly Hills. 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. The Disturbing True Story Of The Waverly Hills Sanatorium Reporting on what you care about. Some of the names were difficult if not impossible to read. He hired a woman named Lizzie Lee Harris to teach at the school. The following index contains recorded patient deaths at Waverly Hills between 1911-1960. The second phase was to convert the old sanatorium into a chapel, theater, and agift shopat a cost of $8 million or more. Good news: When you visit WHS, you can get in the death tunnel. The search began for a proper location to constructed the much needed facility. Obsessed with travel? A childrens pavilion was built in 1916 that housed 40 children and included a schoolroom. but patients families still visited them on designated visitors days, lol. & Historical Research GroupAll files, pictures, video, E.V.P., articles, trademarks; etc. Located just outside of Elizabethtown, Kasey Cemetery is so haunted, its known as the Gates of Hell. Frank J. Stewart served as the assistant medical director and as a physician at the sanatorium up until the 1950s. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Waverly Hills Sanatorium In 1926, they finished the building to what it is today. This is the building that still stands to this day. 10 Horrifying Stories From The Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Ranker If you can correct us on anything we have posted, please do so. So while it's true that the most common treatments were exposure to sunlight, bed rest, healthy foods, and fresh air, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium Memorial records that several other methods were applied to patients, including surgical methods that were cutting edge for the time, but that might sound barbaric now. 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. 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.