By Tina R. McSwain
Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Louisville, KY
Has to be one of the most haunted locations in the country. Given its long history (around 100 years) there has been plenty of time to make a haunting. Opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis clinic, it was expanded in 1926 to what is seen today. It remained a tuberculosis hospital until 1961.
Closed for a year, quarantined, and renovated, it opened back up its doors in 1962 as a geriatric facility called Woodhaven Medical Services. It remained as such until the state of Kentucky closed it down in 1980.
So much death, dying, deplorable conditions, misery and mistreatment of the elderly, has made this place ripe with ghostly activity. Add to that, suicide (or was it murder?). During the time it lay abandoned, rumours of satanic practices within its walls permeated the local folklore.
With its dark past, The Charlotte Area Paranormal Society decided to travel to Louisville and investigate Waverly. While personal experiences are not considered evidence, they are deemed important, and almost everyone in the group had at least one. Four team members experienced the sound of rolling coffin carts, and the bang of them stopping at the bottom of the Body Chute (long after they have been removed.) Another four team members experienced a dark presence on the 4th floor which left them unnerved. Still others saw “Shadow People”, and experienced the strange phenomenon of a “doppelganger”. Two team members encountered the ghost of a dog that had met a tragic end at Waverly.
We employed a great deal of technology, (8) Sony Hi8 night-shot cameras on tripods with IR illuminators, (3) roving Night Shot cameras with IR illuminators (these accompanied the teams as they investigated), (2) full spectrum HD video recorders on tripods with IR Illuminators, (2) roving full spectrum digital cameras, (1) roving full spectrum video camera with IR Illuminator, and (1) roving FLIR thermal imaging camera. Of course, team members ran digital audio recorders the entire time, and used
digital cameras as well.
With this much footage and audio to review, it will be some time before we can complete our analysis. We will post anything we find on our website.
On a personal note, I will say that if you ever get a chance to investigate
Waverly, go for it! But, don’t go alone! It has been the most active site I have ever seen (and I have been to many across the country). I know I speak for my fellow team members as well when I say that the place, the images and the experience stays with you long after you leave.
