Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Part 1

Opened in 1864, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was designed under the Kirkbride Plan, aligned with the namesake’s views on best care practices: giving patients access to air circulation and natural light.  Those long hallways that illuminate decay so powerfully are all his fault. As was the case with many large self-sustaining farm colonies, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, then called West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, was born of good intentions.  But overcrowding impacted staff’s ability to provide adequate care.  Patients were crammed into quarters meant for one.  With the hospital at 6 times its capacity, staff could not keep order.  At worst, it was at 10 times its capacity.  When a crew of local reporters were able to infiltrate they exposed the horrid conditions, but it was not until 1994 when the hospital officially closed. 

Today it is in a transition of restoration. Like similar sites, the property owners are offering the public access to the site for educational tours, paranormal overnights, and photography events. I attended the latter, promised the opportunity to roam free through designated parts of the campus. Though this was not truly the case, it still was a fruitful experience resulting in many photographs. This is the first batch of shots I like best.