The Haunted First Public Hospital (First Insane Asylum)

Established in October of 1773, Eastern State Hospital, which was also known as the nation's first insane asylum, opened its doors to patients. This building was built in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, under the name “Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds.”

Famous for its brutal treatment methods, this hospital has gone down in history for not only being America’s first insane asylum but also for the quality of care (or rather lack thereof) that was provided.

The appalling treatment of past patients and even the dejected suicide of a good doctor have given this location its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Williamsburg, Virginia. It’s safe to say that the tragedies that transpired within the walls of this building will forever cast a stain over the land.

Did You Know?

• Many of the horrific scenes that you might watch in scary movies that are based in psychiatric hospitals take inspiration from the events that took place here.
• The corpses of many patients were later found buried in unmarked graves around the property of the hospital.
• One doctor tried to reform the maltreatment of patients, which eventually led to his tragic death.
• The hospital was involved in two separate fires during its time standing and has since been rebuilt to replicate the original Public Hospital (Insane Asylum).

Is It Haunted?

Eastern State Hospital, previously known as The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds, is considered by many to be haunted! There have been a variety of reports that always lead back to similar conclusions.

From unusual sounds to cool breezes, many have expressed experiencing paranormal happenings at the hospital. Some even report visual manifestations!

The Ghost of Dr. John Galt II

During the hospital's time as an insane asylum, patients were brutally harmed under the claim of medical treatment. Some of the terrible things that took place included: mechanical restraints, using straight jackets, manacles, waistcoats, and leather wristlets, sometimes for varying amounts of time.

However, there was one doctor, a 22-year-old humanitarian named Dr. John Galt II, who desperately fought for better conditions for the patients of the hospital during his time there in the mid-1800s. That is until Galt was forced out of the hospital and Union soldiers took over during the Battle of Williamsburg.

Heartbroken, the good doctor fell into a depression of his own. This would eventually lead to an overdose of laudanum, a type of opioid. Resulting in the bursting of various vessels in his brain, his dead body would be found the next day located in his home on the hospital grounds.

Decades after the fact, one woman who resided in the same location as Dr. Galt experienced quite the unusual turn of events. The bloodstain on the floor from Galt’s suicide was left for a very long time until she decided to remove the bloodstained wood.

On the morning following the installation of the new floorboards, she was upset to find the bloodstains somehow made their way back to her home and onto the new wood. Almost like Dr. Galt was not ready to give up residence in his old home.

There have also been reports over the years of people seeing what they can best describe as a shadowy man roaming around the hospital. Could this be Dr. Gault still working tirelessly to improve the conditions of his former hospital?

The Unnamed Ghosts Of The Public Hospital

While it is impossible to say for certain how many patients lost their lives during their time at The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds, the number is certainly subtaintial.

The harsh conditions that patients were kept in led to many untimely deaths. Many of those who passed in their time at the hospital was left in unmarked graves, with no real way for us to identify them today.

Many people who visit the location today report hearing unusual whistling noises throughout the building. Additionally, people often report feeling sudden drops in temperature in certain areas.

The History

Opening its doors on October 12, 1773, the Public Hospital was the first establishment to treat what we would now refer to today as the mentally ill. Back then, there were few rights for these individuals, which led to inhumane methods of treatment.

Many sources say that the treatment of the patients was actually worse than that of prisoners of the time. Frequently kept in solitary confinement and chained to their beds, it is safe to say that the patients were not receiving safe and helpful treatment from this facility.

The building also experienced two separate fires during its time and has been rebuilt since. While it no longer functions as a hospital, the heavyweight of the countless tortured souls can still be felt by many who visit.