West Virginia Mental Asylum; Weston, WV (closed down), This worries me a little Options

[Wynki]

This is a very unique building, 2nd largest handcarved stone structure in the America.
It's been closed for about a decade, and they're planning its destruction. This building was in process of treating mental illnesses since the Civil War era.
During the times I've visited this place (its about a mile from my home) I've seen, heard, and just felt the presence of something restless. The building itself seems to transform somewhat. One night a friend of mine and I were outside of it looking around the grounds, and I looked up to one of the carvings (a simple cross) and I looked away. Then I happened to glance back at it and it was inverted. I thought maybe it was just a trick of my mind, but one can ever be sure, right?
Also, we managed to get a tour through it a few years back, and we convinced the guide to allow us into the old clock tower. We saw poltergeist activity in the room involving the mechanics of the clock. It stopped working when we entered the room, and upon exiting the building I looked up to the clock tower and noticed it had began to move again.
There are three graveyards on the grounds of the asylum, as well as a morgue, where only the bodies of mental patients were processed and buried.
I believe most of these spirits are merely here to preserve the past to show us how terrible the conditions were there once (icepick treatment, anyone? Shock therapy?), and they are harmless. Since the city is planning the destruction of the beautiful part of our history sometime in the near future, the spirits are making a sudden increase in uprising.
There have been more accounts from locals and tourists alike of similar sightings at the old asylum.

Here are some images of the hospital itself (NOTE: these are not my own images)





This post has been edited by MoonChild: Apr 18 2006, 12:56 PM

[MoonChild]

Welcome to GhostVillage Wynki.


It has an eerie look! Spooky!

[Wynki]

Yeah, it really does, but recently its been taped off because its getting dangerous to be around. Sad really, that they aren't preserving it well.

[angelinayorke]

Yeah, it really does, but recently its been taped off because its getting dangerous to be around. Sad really, that they aren't preserving it well.

They haven't been preserving most places like this. It's very sad.

[LycanGhost]

Yeah, they aren't. But it's a beautiful old building. I'd like to explore it.

[WickedBrat]

hmm i would love to explore that building only if i lived in the states *grins* just to be scared out of my wits at times.

[Floyd]

This place looks very spooky,,wow,that is all I can say.

[Tigger]

Such a beautiful gothic building. I wish America took the time to perserve such places instead of knocking them down to put some cold and steel flashy building up. There won't be nothing of America's past left before too long.

But that is one rambling long building. I can imagine that anything is possible there it being a former insane asylum. It sorta reminds me of that one building for the insane that they did a while back on Ghost Hunters on SCIFI Channel. I can't think of the name of it though.

[rat girl]

what a lovely old building - i love reading about abandoned asylums, just thinking about the kind of things that went on in there, it would be brilliant to explore!!!!

[Vivienne_DuBois]

Historic asylums have gotten more and more of my attention, lately. I've researched into dozens and dozens of these asylums (both TB and Psychiatric) in the American mid-west. Most are lost or at dire risk of being torn down. It is incredibly sad that these beacons of the past are being tossed away as they are. With each asylum lost, America loses an integral part of it's recent history.

BTW: the pictures are beautiful. It is an imposing-looking structure per the second postcard (reminds me more of a prison than an insane asylum). I really am keen on the first picture, though. Perhaps, it's the sepia tone of it, but it draws me in.

Viv

[TKE448]

It sorta reminds me of that one building for the insane that they did a while back on Ghost Hunters on SCIFI Channel. I can't think of the name of it though.

Waverly Hills in Lousiville, KY...

[LdySW357]

Do you know if they are letting any investigators in there? I live in Charleston and would love to check it out while it's still there.

[mamallama]

Hi, there! I'm also from WV -- Spencer, to be exact, and I am very interested in the Weston Asylum because Spencer used to be the home of an almost identical asylum. I think they tore that one down in '98.

I am so sad to hear that they might be tearing down the asylum. I was actually in Weston, yesterday, and wanted to stop by for a tour but was on a time crunch and didn't know the tour schedule.

Anyhoo... thanks for posting this! Cool board, BTW. I've never been here before -- just surfed in from a Google search about the asylum.

[okieboo]

That looks like such a beautiful building. That would be such an interesting place to investigate. It reminds me of Waverly Hills. I wish America would focus more on preserving our history instead of making way for more parking lots and shopping centers. It seems like other parts of the world are more interested in making sure history doesn't become 'history.'

[Laurie Ann]

~I just loved the pics you posted!!! That building is absolutely beautiful...minus what happened in there back when. I wish people would just leave things alone!!! You know the old saying/song..."Don't know what you've got till it's gone". If people would exhirt the same energy in fixing up old buildings for the sake of History lovers, instead of tearing it down...it would be much more of a learning place for our future generations. Thank you for posting such nice pics of a beautiful building.