The Twisted Story Of Graham Young – The "Teacup Poisoner", Theo Van Gogh's Film On Islam Was So Controversial, He Was Killed Over It, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The exterior even appears in the asylum level of the game Painkiller. Season 2 of FX's American Horror Story centers around the patients and staff of a Massachusetts mental institution, Briarcliff Manor, said to be inspired by Danvers State Hospital. It spanned several acres and was a massive institution originally intended to be a beacon of modernity and progress in … It's no surprise, then, that best sex scenes from AHS get us hot, skeeze us out, and make us think—sometimes all at once! Danvers was a success at first. Portions of the hospital were shuttered starting in 1969, with most of it closed by 1985, and the entire campus shut down in 1992. Looking for a ghoulish true story this Halloween? But while Danvers was meant to be an appealing place whose interiors promoted the health and wellbeing of its patients, its gothic design has captured the imagination of many a lover of horror. Finally, the state intervened. Although the building looked beautiful on the outside, inside was a different matter. Get our eeriest tales and best book deals delivered straight to your inbox. Perhaps that dark history cursed the building that currently sits on Hathorne Hill. The world is full of unexplained events, strange mysteries, and mysterious legends. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanatorium (Danvers is also mentioned in Lovecraft’s stories “Pickman’s Model” and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”) and it served as the setting for the film Session 9. He thanks you for reading his content. *Want to learn more? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The judge that presided over the Salem Witch Trials, John Hathorne, once lived here a few hundred years ago. Construction on the site began in 1874 and opened to patients in 1878. Discover some of the worlds strangest ancient places. Lovecraft's horror stories and Batman's Arkham Asylum is now a condominium complex. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Danvers is often given the dubious title of the “birthplace of the prefrontal lobotomy” for its use and refinement of the procedure. That is, if patients could express their thoughts after having a portion of their brain ripped out during surgery. MV Lyubov Orlova – The strange story of a Russian Ghost Ship, Abandoned – Nicosia International Airport, The best old UFO pictures from the 1920’s & 1930’s, The very best old UFO pictures and mysteries from the 50’s, Index of The Worlds Unexplained Mysteries. If you liked the video please subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/OnlyDepression Unfortunately, as the decades wore on, Kirkbride’s influence touched nothing more than the main building’s floor plan. Eastern State Hospital (colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA) Williamsburg Virginia was home to the first American hospital constructed exclusively for the mentally ill, Eastern State Hospital. Unexplained Mysteries -  owned by Aliens since 2011. Things changed in the 1920s and that horrible period formed the ghosts we know today. When asked about filming Session 9 at the Danvers State Hospital, David Caruso said, In 1939, the medical community was looking for a permanent fix to the crisis facing mental health facilities. In 2005, a development company bought the rundown property and tore down a large portion of the buildings. Session 9 is a 2001 American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Stephen Gevedon, and starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III. For years, the building sat empty, but eventually the property was bought up by Avalon Bay Development, which demolished most of the buildings, including the interior of the historic Kirkbride building. Danvers State Hospital was one of many hospitals built in Massachusetts during the industrial revolution. The American Horror Story: Asylum inspired story covers the following haunted asylums that may or may have not inspired Briarcliff Manor: Worcester State Hospital - Worcester, MA. Hathorne Hill in Danvers, Massachusetts harbors a beautiful Kirkbride building with its gothic-style spires and red brick construction. Wikimedia Commons Danvers State Hospital in 1893. The story of Danvers State Hospital, however, is so horrifying that it inspired the Hollywood movie Session 9. Danvers State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital built in 1874 on Hathorne Hill, where the … Foxborough State Hospital - Foxboro, MA - Tom Brady's favorite insane asylum. Lovecraft's horror short story "The Thing on the Doorstep". Unexplained Mysteries and Strange Things, Cool Interesting stuff has been online since early 2011. Actually, when the hospital was constructed in 1887, it was designed (by Nathaniel J Bradlee) according to the theories of mental health advocate Thomas Story Kirkbride, who believed in the compassion care and treatment of the mentally ill. That meant ornate interiors, private rooms, and long, rambling wings that would let the sunshine in. Soon after its closure, Danvers State Hospital would become the haunted house on the hill where kids dared one another to sneak in. American Horror: 5 Most Haunted ... the facility was shortly renamed the Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Abandoned Places. Discover Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts: The inspiration for H.P. Sometimes the patients died out of the staff members’ sight, and weren’t discovered until days later, rotting away in some forgotten room. The lack of funding continued. However, the building’s dark past make it one of the creepiest monuments to insane asylums in the world. ... Danvers State Hospital, Massachusetts Administrators begged the state for money to build more rooms and hire more staff, to no avail. It was designed to be self-contained and somewhat self-sufficient in wintertime, thanks to its own steam power plant at the bottom of the hill. Danvers State Hospital was originally called the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers (a cheerful name, for sure). The site features a collection of unexplained, strange and odd mysteries. on History of Danvers State Hospital. Here it is the story of Danvers State Hospital from start to finish. Even the building looks very similar to the familiar pictures of Danvers State Hospital. It was part of the countrywide concept – at least in the late 1800s – that people with psychological problems needed to be cured inside specially made facilities. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Construction on Danvers State Hospital started in 1874 and the first patients moved in sometime in 1878. Danvers State Mental Hospital was built by prominent architect Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee from Boston, in an extremely rural, out-of-the-way location called Hathorne Hill. This counts for the shows visuals and storylines as much as its themes. Newtown, CT. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons; Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Aslyum. The Danvers State Hospital, also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum, was a psychiatric hospital located in Danvers, Massachusetts.It was built in 1874, and opened in 1878, under the supervision of prominent Boston architect Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee, on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts. Why Danvers State Hospital Ranks Among History’s Most Infamous Asylums. The Massachusetts facility, the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers is actually quite famous in horror. Looking for a ghoulish true story this Halloween? The American Horror Story: Asylum inspired story covers the following haunted asylums that may or may have not inspired Briarcliff Manor: Worcester State Hospital - Worcester, MA Danvers State Hospital - Danvers… The goal of the facility was to completely cure patients of their ills. December 12, 2020. The renovations turned the once-macabre lunatic asylum into Avalon Danvers Apartments. Americas most haunted locations – Danvers State Hospital. Visitors to the hospital in the late 1940s described the patients as aimlessly wandering the halls, or vacantly staring at walls, perhaps a result of both their poor treatment by the staff and their various medical interventions. The design supposedly helped draw breezes through the entire facility. When they misbehaved, they were put in straight jackets and forgotten. By 1900, Danvers State Hospital employed 125 people and had treated more than 9,500 patients since opening. This later inspired a psychiatric hospital within the Batman universe called Arkham Asylum. The Hell House on the Hill (one of several unkind yet accurate nicknames for Danvers State Hospital) looks brand-new today. Some of the campus’ tunnels, the cemetery, and facades of a couple of the other buildings remain, but the “modern ruins” version of Danvers State now exists only in photographs and videos. After venturing inside the tormented history of Danvers State Hospital, see these haunting photos taken inside asylums of decades past. In the first episode we're introduced to various residents, including Kit Walker, a white Massachusetts man suspected of murdering his African-American wife and other local women. We’ve weeded through the darkest histories to find the former asylums that make American Horror Story feel like Saturday morning cartoons. If the name Arkham sounds familiar, DC Comics latched onto the name and created Arkham Asylum as the backdrop for where Batman’s ultra-psychotic villains come from. In the rear is the boiler house … Lovecraft used Danvers as the inspiration for his Arkham Sanitarium. It doesn’t take long for the crew boss to hear voices and have one of his men go missing. Danvers State Hospital - Danvers, MA. The Myrtles Plantation, haunting evidence? It’s said to have been an inspiration for H.P. Most of it closed in 1985 before a permanent shutdown in 1992, after which the site became a popular destination for thrill-seeking kids looking for a good scare. Some headstones only have numbers as opposed to names. People weren’t being cured. Fairfield Hills State Hospital. If you’re a true crime buff or you watch American Horror Story, you’ll know who Henry Holmes is. Portions of Danvers State Hospital were shut down in 1969. Weston, WV. American Horror Story: Asylum is easily one of the darkest seasons of the anthology TV series, and several of its twisted storylines are actually based in truth.. Before Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, and Lady Gaga starred in the series, American Horror Story: Asylum boasted some of the biggest and best actors the series had seen.Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, and … Then read about the real horror story of Bedlam, the Bethlam Royal Hospital. It fell victim to vandals and arsonists, graffiti artists and scrappers. Like most asylums and hospitals of this type and age, it has a complicated, sad, unbelievable, and depending on the decade, even a criminal history. 283 Likes, 19 Comments - Devon Munster (@artwithdevon) on Instagram: “The Danvers State Hospital, 1878-1992 _____ The American Horror Story Asylum…” The thinking was that jolts of electricity could either alter a patient’s brain or make the patient afraid of shock therapy and scare them into submission. Horror novelist H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanatorium (Danvers is also mentioned in Lovecraft’s stories “Pickman’s Model” and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”) and it served as the setting for the film Session 9. This website uses cookies and some data tracking to improve your experience and serve adverts, We assume you're ok with this, you can opt-out if you wish. It’s said to have been an inspiration for H.P. Ghost Hunting at Danvers State Hospital Danvers State Hospital was one of the most notorious asylums during its time. 19 Comments. “American Horror Story” set its second (and best) season within the walls of a ‘60s asylum. These cookies do not store any personal information. American Horror Story is all about pushing boundaries and making its audience uncomfortable. 2) The Danvers State Asylum was also featured in the 1958 film Home Before Dark. Danvers State Hospital/Insane Asylum. As you can imagine, they don’t find him in their truck outside. Foxborough State Hospital - Foxboro, MA - Tom Brady's favorite insane asylum. Eventually, all of the nightmarish trappings of asylums were introduced: solitary confinement, straightjackets, electroshock therapy (which gets a bad rap, but was likely overused as a means to control patients rather than as a mode of treatment), and the lobotomy. It tells the story of a work crew assigned to remove asbestos from an abandoned mental institution. American Horror: 5 Most Haunted ... the facility was shortly renamed the Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Medical science saw lobotomies as a cure for anyone’s insanity, and as a way to stop the deaths. Visitors to Danvers State Hospital in the early 1940s reported lobotomy patients wandering aimlessly through the halls of the hospital. The Danvers State Hospital, also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum, was a psychiatric hospital located in Danvers, Massachusetts.It was built in 1874, and opened in 1878, under the supervision of prominent Boston architect Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee, on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts. Patients at the hospital were constrained by strait-jackets and subjected to physical abuse. The outer wings (A and J) housed the dangerous patients. After psychiatrist physician Walter Freeman performed the United States’ first transorbital lobotomy in 1936, many large psychiatric hospitals took to the procedure like an icepick to an eye socket, using it to treat everything from daydreaming and backaches to delusions and major depression. Bizarre Travel. Danvers State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA and opened in 1878 at a cost of $1.5 million. At its peak, the facility had 40 buildings and maxe… The idea was that the facility would be self-sustaining, meaning that everything it needed was on site. It was part of the countrywide concept – at least in the late 1800s – that people with psychological problems needed to be cured inside specially made facilities. The facility that once housed Danvers State Hospital is now home to a residential community featuring fully renovated apartments. Patients walked through hallways naked. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanatorium, Danvers has a gothic design that has captured the imagination of horror aficionados. Wikimedia Commons Danvers as it stands today, a much more cheerful place. The Kirkbride building’s facade was used as part of the new Avalon Danvers apartments. Discover the truth behind unexplained ancient mysteries, UFO mysteries, secret locations and paranormal events. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The American Horror Story: Asylum inspired story covers the following haunted asylums that may or may have not inspired Briarcliff Manor: Worcester State Hospital - Worcester, MA. Flickr/Brian Z Danvers Lunatic Asylum Danvers State Hospital was originally called the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers (a cheerful name, for sure). When shock therapy failed, the lobotomies started. Patients walked around in a drugged, hellish daze. At least the patients didn’t complain, because many of them just stared blankly at walls. Directed by Bradley Buecker. Connected in the rear was a building 180 by 60 feet, in which the kitchens, laundries, chapel, and dormitories for the attendants. Constructed at a cost of $1.5 million, with the estimated yearly per capita cost of patients being $3,000 the hospital originally consisted of two main center buildings, housing the administration, with four radiating wings. Neurology experts often called Danvers State Hospital the “birthplace of the prefrontal lobotomy.” The moniker came from its widespread use, but also from the procedures refinement at the hospital. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. So what has earned Danvers State such distinctions? Perhaps the tormented spirits of the dead put a curse on the place. 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