Joshua Dowidat

Haunted Places: Buffalo State Asylum

Hello Everyone,

Well this is the last haunted hospital or asylum for a while. Got a different list of Haunted Places to cover plus some other stuff. Still, what a better way to wrap up the segment than with talking about Buffalo State Asylum. Yes, another one located in New York.

A Little History:

The construction for Buffalo State Asylum started in 1870. The asylum is also known as, and is the official name, is the Richardson Olmsted Complex and sometimes the Henry Hobson Richardson Olmsted Hospital. To me the “Buffalo State Asylum” sounds a little more eerie so I am going to stick with that name.

Now it is considered a historical landmark where it resides in Buffalo, New York. Although it stopped housing inmates in the 1970s it was used as an office until 1994. Nowadays the building is in need of restoration and talk of turning one Continue reading →

Haunted Places: Greystone Park Psychiatric Center

Hello Everyone,

Well almost done. This haunted place and one more. This one I keep wanting to call “Castle of Greyskull” but I know the real name is Greystone Park Psychiatric Center. So hopefully that won’t confuse anyone, maybe I shouldn’t have put it out there like that but it was one my mind.

History of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center:

The construction started in 1871, in New Jersey, was completed in 1876. The building was originally designed to house 350 inmates but as we have seen in previous posts that’s not how it went. Greystone Park Psychiatric Center eventually housed over 7,000 inmates when it was at its peak.

The hospital itself was designed to help with the overflow of other hospitals and to relieve the overcrowding of them. The hospital was used in films and some other historical events. The hospital is no longer in operation ever since it Continue reading →

Haunted Places: Essex County Hospital Center

Hello Everyone,

Well once again thank you for taking the time to read another post of mine about a haunted place. Once again it is a hospital and this time it’s Essex County Hospital Center. Or as some call it, Essex County Insane Asylum.

A Little History:

Essex County Hospital Center was built in 1896. The purpose of the hospital might come as a shock to you. Although it was obviously a hospital for the mentally ill it was primarily built to house the overflow of mentally ill from other hospitals in the area.

Built in the Township of Cedar Grove, New Jersey the hospital served through many rough times. Unfortunately those who were there were the ones who paid the costs. That is until the hospital shut down in 2003 when a new hospital was opened.

Dark Times at Essex County Hospital Center:

There are two very particular instances Continue reading →

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: 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 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 →