Pennhurst State School and Hospital and its secrets (20 photos + 1 video)

Originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic, Pennhurst State School and Hospital was once called the Shame of Pennsylvania.





Most of its 32 original buildings have now been demolished or abandoned, though some have found new uses.

History of Pennhurst State School and Hospital



In 1903, a commission was formed to count the number of feebleminded and epileptics in Spring City, Pennsylvania. Most of these people were placed in inappropriate institutions, such as regular hospitals and even prisons.

It was decided to build a new institution, and from 1903 to 1908, a place was erected where such patients could be properly housed. The building was to be divided into two groups: one for educational and industrial purposes, the other for guardianship and a ward for the mentally ill.





Pennhurst State School and Hospital was located away from society, hidden behind dense woods. The patients worked on the facility grounds during the day, doing mattress making, shoe repair, shoe sorting, farming, laundry, housework, sewing, baking, painting, and working in the store. Pennhurst even had its own train station to deliver coal and other materials to run the power plant. The train tracks are still visible beneath the asphalt.



The first patient was admitted to Pennhurst on November 23, 1908. More quickly followed, and four years after its opening, there were 2,800 patients there. Far more than the original 500. Not only were the mentally retarded and disabled housed there, but immigrants, orphans, and criminals were also housed there. The number of patients grew, but there was no money to hire more staff. Not surprisingly, the overburdened staff soon began to use violence instead of compassion.

The Shame of Pennsylvania



Another problem was the treatment of the mentally retarded. Pennhurst's chief physician once said, "Every feeble-minded person is a potential criminal." Patients who misbehaved were isolated. Some needed attention so badly that they would injure themselves to escape isolation. Patients who tried to bite a staff member or another patient lost their teeth…



One doctor named Jesse G. Fir actually enjoyed torturing patients by giving them painful injections that did not cause serious harm. In 1968, a local news reporter, Bill Baldini, exposed the conditions at Pennhurst in a television report. The report even made the front page of newspapers, claiming that Pennhurst was the disgrace of Pennsylvania.

Pennhurst's Closure



If the press reports weren't the final nail in the coffin for Pennhurst, a patient named Terri Lee Halderman was. When she visited her parents for the weekend, they were alarmed to see bruises on their daughter's body. They went to court, and the court ordered the facility closed. That happened in 1987, and the remaining 1,156 patients were transferred.

The Pennhurst Haunting



The number of patients who died here is unknown, but the energy of their pain and the frustration of the staff literally soaked into the walls of the building. It is no wonder that the place is loved by ghosts. Since 2017, paranormal tours have been held here at night to study the ghosts.

The Ghost King



The King is the nickname of a malevolent entity believed to be the ghost of a maintenance worker who worked at Pennhurst in the 40's or 50's. His territory is the boiler room in the basement. He manifests as an incorporeal figure, but has enough energy to touch people.

Investigators sometimes call him a poltergeist, sometimes a demonic creature. He has a very creepy laugh.

Other Ghosts



Some buildings are no longer allowed to be visited simply because they are crumbling and dangerous. However, they have been the subject of investigations in the past. For example, the Quaker Building is a scary place. People have seen disembodied figures there, including the ghost of a girl with long black hair and long dangling arms.

People have been pushed, scratched, and had objects thrown at them. It is believed that these injuries were caused by a demonic creature. In the Limerick Building, people have reported seeing the ghost of a woman in an old nurse's uniform.



In addition to the tours and paranormal investigations, there is a haunted attraction inside part of the former administration building. This attraction has been around since 2010 and is very popular. The object is still under development and is waiting for new fans of otherworldly stories to visit.





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