Joshua Dowidat

Haunted Places: Hudson River State Hospital

Hello Everyone,

Yes I know I drifted away a little from the haunted places over the last month but that was to concentrate on the Halloween Holiday. So once again here we are and the haunted place today is the Hudson River State Hospital.

Hudson River State Hospital:

The hospital was opened in 1871 and served its purpose as a hospital for the purposes of psychiatric care. It first 40 patients were admitted then but the construction was far from complete as the hospital grew over the next 25 years. The hospital seemed to slow down gradually with its treatments over the next century because new means of care were introduced and thus eliminated the larger buildings such as the Hudson River State Hospital.

The hospital which still stands in New York was sold to an unnamed buyer when the hospital closed its doors. The gothic design of the hospital Continue reading →

Haunted Place: Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital

Hello Everyone,

Well, even though I could on about Halloween I don’t want to get o off the subject of this series of blogs and that is the haunted places. Haunted places like the Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital.

Middletown:

First of all, Middletown is the city in New York where the hospital is located. Kind of interesting to see that so many of these hospitals and asylums for the insane are on the east coast but also how many of them are in New York.

While construction began in 1870 after the decision was made to create a facility for the mentally ill in 1866, the hospital did not open until 1874. When it first opened it had only 69 patients. But as time as shown us over the course of these hospitals and the blogs is that the number grows substantially larger every time. By the turn of the Continue reading →

Haunted Place: Willard Asylum

Hello Everyone,

Today we are going to dig into a haunted place known as the Willard asylum. Unlike many of the buildings or hospitals that I have been talking about over the last couple weeks the Willard Asylum is still functional and in 1995 was declared a Historic building.

History of Willard Asylum:

The property for the asylum was purchased in 1850 and was originally going to be the site of an Agricultural college. The American Civil War put a damper on this just like many of the hospitals and dreams created around that time. It was under the direction of New York’s Surgeon General at the time to make the completed buildings on the property into and insane asylum.

Little did these people ever know is that these places would eventually become areas of supernatural phenomenon and paranormal activities.

I know I mentioned the asylum is still operational but Continue reading →

Haunted Place: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Hospital

Hello Everyone,

So here it is. Another haunted place and what do you know? It’s a hospital. A hospital for the insane but also other people as well. For some reason the fact that it held the mentally insane, just like the previous posts, makes you move a little more into the eerie realm. I think, and I am sure many agree, that the tortured souls of this world seem to have a better grasp on inheriting a place in the afterlife amongst us. At least that’s what it seems like most people believe.

The Haunted Place, the Hospital:

It took almost thirty years to construct and was originally started in 1864 and completed, at least for the most part, in 1881. It was in operation in 1864 and was originally designed to house 250 patients. The hospital did not close its doors until 1994. I know, it seems Continue reading →

Haunted Place: Rolling Hills Asylum

Hello Everyone,

Once again thanks for reading and taking a look at another haunted place. In fact another haunted Asylum. This time the name rings a bell to me that drives me to take my research a little deeper I this one. Simply put, there is a neighboring area by me that is called Rolling Hills and I am curious if there is any relation to this asylum. Much like New York is named after York in England I wonder if this is perhaps set the same way in places across the United States from east to West coast. Depending on where the original was established first I guess.

The Story Behind the Haunted Place:

Located in Bethany, New York the haunted place known as Rolling Hills Asylum was opened in 1827 and closed in 1972. Actually in the mid-50s it was primarily a nursing home for the elderly and Continue reading →

Haunted Places: Utica State Hospital

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my new segment of blogs, haunted places. This segment will consist of many different types of haunted places such as; graveyards, asylums, hospitals, ghost towns, hotels, and more. Ranging anywhere from the well-developed stories to the more forgotten that I can get my hands on, they will be the focus for some time now.

Utica State Hospital:

As one of the first places in the great country of America to care for the mentally ill, Utica opened January 16, 1843 in, obviously, Utica, New York. Utica is one of the highest populated cities in New York where this Hospital was once originally called, “New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica.” Probably changed the name due to people not wanting to live so close by. What do you think?

It is actually a very beautifully built hospital resembling the designs of building in Washington D.C. that mimic Continue reading →