My friend, B, and I might just have spent a good part of our afternoon researching nearby “haunted” establishments. I say “haunted” in quotation marks for the shear fact that I’m not sure what I believe when it comes to things of the paranormal kind. We were surprised to find that our campus’s auditorium has had many ghostly encounters—though nothing has been captured on film or video.
We did, however, stumble upon this creepy little place in a nearby town.
Originally named the DeJarnette Center for Human Development, it served as a mental institution for children and youth as a part of Western State Hospital beginning in1932. Over the course of the facility’s lifetime, Mr. DeJarnette’s—the founder’s—research in eugenics was uncovered and questioned. In 1996 the facility was shut down and the patients and employees moved to a new building, on the hospital’s campus, nearby. Since its closure, the building has sat empty, as plans for its demolition were halted. Instead, the windows have been boarded up for residents and passer-byers to enjoy it’s architectural beauty.
Although the road that runs directly in front of the building is blocked from through traffic, a parallel road runs in front of the facility—perfect for a quick stop for pictures!
B and I stumbled upon lots of photographs from inside the sanatorium and it would have been extremely cool to have been able to wander around inside before it was boarded up due to health risks. Check out this Flikr link for some awesome pictures from inside the facility!
Do you do something wild, crazy, or totally random today??
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