Waverly Hills, That’s Where I Wanna Be
I remember my first trip to Waverly Hills Sanitarium.
My mom and I were visiting my grandparents who live only 20 minutes away from this historic site.
Well, make that 45 minutes because I was driving and the two of us have no sense of direction.
I couldn’t believe how massive this place was and the sense of sorrow that I felt.
Thousands of people, many of them entire families, passed through the front doors, hoping for a cure, only to lose loved ones to Tuberculosis a.k.a “TB”, “The White Plague” and “Consumption”.
TB disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected. Symptoms range from loss of appetite, weakness, chills and fever to pain in the chest and coughing up blood.
~Centers for Disease Control Prevention
Before the introduction of antibiotics, some of the treatments for tuberculosis were a healthy diet, fresh air, seaweed placed under the pillow, salt baths and artificial pneumothorax.
Artificial pneumothorax was a rather painful procedure. The lung was artificially collapsed and then inflated again.
The belief was this procedure gave the infected lung a rest. And unfortunately, on many occasions, the ribs were removed as well to relieve pressure. So needless to say, most of the patients were in pain.
A little bit of history for you regarding Waverly Hills per their website, http://www.therealwaverlyhills.com/,
The Waverly Hills Sanatorium began with a two-story frame building, with a hipped roof and half timbering. Construction on this building began in 1908, and it opened on July 26, 1910. This building was only designed to safely accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients. Tuberculosis was a very serious disease back before antibiotics were discovered. People who were afflicted with tuberculosis had to be isolated from the general public and placed in an area where they could rest, stay calm, and have plenty of fresh air. Sanatoriums were built on high hills surrounded by peaceful woods to create a serene atmosphere to help the patients recover.
Tuberculosis was reaching epidemic proportions among the public in Pleasure Ridge Park, Kentucky. The little TB clinic was being filled with over 140 people, and it was becoming very obvious that a much larger hospital would have to be built.
The massive collegiate gothic style sanatorium still stands on Waverly Hill today. This sanatorium could accommodate at least 400 patients. It was considered to be one of the most modern and well equipped facilities when it opened. Construction of this sanatorium began in March of 1924. It opened on October 17, 1926 to administer patients. Waverly functioned as a tuberculosis hospital until 1961. After antibiotics were invented, it was closed down to be quarantined and renovated to be opened again in 1962 as WoodHaven Medical Services. The facility remained a geriatrics center until 1980, when it was closed by the state.
A couple of months ago, I made the trek again to Waverly for an event hosted by Darkness Radio and Ghost Adventures Crew, and I was not disappointed.
Susan and I made some mini videos throughout the two nights of investigations and I will say that we got some great E.V.P.s in the death tunnel that gave me chills.
Hopefully, one day I will figure out how to post my audio findings to my website. But hey, let’s be honest, I’m just happy that I figured out how to work my camera!
Baby steps my friends, baby steps.
If you ever get a chance to visit Kentucky, I highly recommend that you stop by Waverly Hills. You will not be disappointed.
Sending you much paranormal love,
Mallie Fox
Mallie Fox is co-host of the radio and podcast program www.DarknessRadio.com. She has had a lifetime interest in all things paranormal.
I was born in 1961 here in Louisville, 10 minutes away from the Waverly Hills Institute. My parents used to take me there, when it snowed, to go sledding down the winding road that led down the hill. At that time, it was like a majestic castle. As years went buy, I would frequently ride my bike up to the castle, simply to speed down the hill. After it closed you could occassionally hear screaming and the rattling of windows as I would explore the surrounding areas.
On several occassions my friends and I discovered the shute or the tunnel of death, this was the early seventies, we explored the tunnel from the end all the way to the hospital doors. On one occassion we were ,told, ” to get the fuck out of here”. The voice was farely loud, we ran and slipped our way to the exit near Dixie Hwy and we thought we were benig chased out of there, but when we turned to see who was chasing us there was no one there. To this day I feel that the respect I had for the Castle all my life helped save me.
That same day we rode our bikes to the top to speed down the hill, my friend Scott toted me on the back of my Scwhinn bike. We were both very athletic, as we double peddled , out racing everyone to the final turn, Scott lost control and was hospitalized for several days, I on the other hand, a person at an eartly age that understood karma and had always respected the castle, was miraculously spared. In fact, my friends saw me flipping through the air ,going over the edge of the cliff ,(30ft below huge boulders of concrete) today they still do not know how I came out of that unscathed. I somersaulted through the air, went over the cliff and was caught by honeysuckle vines. Safe and laughing, I thanked the Holy Spirit for helping me that day.