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Weston State Hospital
Built for 250 patients, it eventually held 2,400. Overcrowding, abuse, and ice pick lobotomies were common. Thousands died within its walls. Now tourists report screams, shadow figures, and the presence of those who never left. America's second largest stone building.
1864 - Present
Weston, West Virginia, USA
3000+ witnesses
Trans-Allegheny is a monument to mental health horrors.
The Building
Architecture:
- Second largest stone building
- In the Western Hemisphere
- Kirkbride design
- 242,000 square feet
- Gothic and imposing
The Conditions
What happened there:
- Massive overcrowding
- Designed for 250
- Held 2,400
- Lobotomies performed
- Horrific conditions
The Deaths
How many:
- Exact number unknown
- Thousands over decades
- Disease
- Violence
- Neglect
The Closure
1994:
- Finally closed
- Conditions exposed
- Left abandoned
- Decay began
- Now preserved
The Haunting
What’s reported:
- Civil War soldier ghost
- Lobotomy victims
- Screaming heard
- Shadow figures
- Intense residual energy
Today
Current use:
- Historic tours
- Ghost tours
- Overnight investigations
- Preservation efforts
- Major attraction