Urban Legends Investigated By The Louisville Ghost Hunters Society:
THE
CENTRAL STATE HOSPITAL
By Jay Gravette
The
building once known as Central State, was originally built
in 1873 as the Home for Juvenile Delinquents at Lakeland.
The original buildings were adjacent to the woodlands that
are now know as E. P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Anchorage,
Kentucky.
Due to the
abundant overcrowding at the eastern and western asylums,
the building at Lakeland was renamed and given a new
purpose, the care and treatment of patients with
psychological disorders. During the mid 1920's allegations
of abuse began to arise. Even the director, Dr. Prusys
sanity was put into question. In 1930, they began using cold
showers, insulin, lobotomies and electro-shock therapy to
cure patients. Reports of massive overcrowding began in the
early 1940's as wards originally designed to have a capacity
of 1,600 were found to be holding well over 2,400. In 1943,
the state grand jury found the asylum committing people that
were neither insane nor psychotic. Many of the older
buildings were labeled as firetraps due to their age and
deterioration. In 1953, Director A. M. Lyons was indicted
for malfeasance and mismanagement. There were also reports
of over 20 separate fires and murders among the wards and
multiple escapes during his term as director.
In the early
1960's the state of Kentucky, began funding of a $3,000,000
plan to modernize the hospital and in 1963, three new
buildings were opened for use. During the 1970's various
changes went into effect. The Hospital became privatized and
patients that were not mentally ill were released. 1981 saw
the biggest change in the hospitals history; it became an
acute psychiatric hospital. And in 1986, all patients and
administration moved into a more modern 192-bed facility.
All of the
original buildings are gone now. The original hospital sadly
was bulldozed in 1996. The only remnants are memories. For
years teens and young adults trespassed into the old
hospital upon hearing tales of patients being mistreated and
abused. Have the mournful souls that died at Central State
remained at the only home most of them ever knew? Filled
with pain and anguish in death, just as they were in life.
The Old
Central State Hospital Photo
In
2005, a memorial plague and gazebo were erected and
dedicated to
former patients on the grounds of the original hospital.
* The
Louisville Ghost Hunters Society Investigations are not always
public, we do confidential investigations of haunted residences which
will not be reported on our website.
If you have a haunted house, or a unexplained phenomenon that you
would like us to investigate - please do not hesitate to contact us,
and rest assured that your investigation will remain strictly
confidential (unless you wish to release our findings to the
public).
THE
CENTRAL STATE HOSPITAL
