Indiana Central State Hospital (demolition)

Well I decided to revisit the grounds of the old Indiana Central State Hospital today, to find new shots…and maybe some ghosts.  Unfortunately when I arrived I did not see the same sights as I did when I went in November of 2014.  I was aware that the City of Indianapolis was currently building housing on the site, and already had some structures up back in November.  However I didn’t realize how quickly the project was moving along.

The giant complex that the Indiana Hospital for the Insane used as the male dormitory was nearly razed completely…construction crews were finishing demolition.  The building that served as the Hospital’s boiler room was no longer there, and the biggest and most impressive building, the Laundry House, was boarded up completely.  Another landmark goes under the wrecking ball.

On May 5, 1846 a contract to begin the construction of “Old Main” (Men’s Department Building, razed in 1941) was authorized and on November 21, 1848 the first five patients were admitted. Thus Central State Hospital was born. The hospital served the entire state until 1905, by which time additional hospitals had been constructed in Evansville, Logansport, Madison, and Richmond leaving Central State with patients from 38 counties in central Indiana. (source)

The Old Power House Basement – Maintenance workers have to go down to the basement and shovel out the ashes twice a night.

a) A screaming of a woman was heard coming from a corner of the basement.

b) Shadows of entities were seen moving from cement post to post.

c) An employee on a break took a nap in a room in the basement, near the pumping station. He awoke as he was being choked by unseen hands by a menacing presence. He broke the grasp and ran to the light switch and no one was there. There were deep red marks around his neck where he was choked.

d) The coal conveyor belt which brought coal to the Boiler, turned itself on and off. (source)

The hospital grew to include the massive Seven Steeples building (Women’s Department), a farm colony, a Pathology Building for the study and teaching of mental illnesses, and well manicured gardens and fountains. At its peak, the hospital accommodated over 2,500 patients. (source)

Dormitories

a) Maintenance workers have heard the cries and screams coming from the dorms, similar to what was heard here when patients stayed here. Mental illness is painful and scary to the people living with it.

b) On the second floor of a woman’s dorm an entity dressed in a bathrobe has been seen running down the hall, from the outside and the inside. (source)

On June 30, 1994 Central State Hospital officially closed its doors after 148 years of service. The State used the land for a variety of purposes for the next decade, including a location for the American Red Cross and the State motor vehicle pool. The old Pathology building was restored and is used as the Indiana Medical History Museum, while a new fire station was constructed along Washington Street. In 2003, the City of Indianapolis purchased the site from the State. The Kirkbrides have been demolished but many other buildings remain. As of late 2008 the property has still not been developed due to lack of funds by the developer & the city has retaken the property. The unmarked graves on the property continue to be a problem with any plans for the property. (source)

A few patients managed to slip away from their caretakers sometimes harming another or themselves.

a) Under a grove of trees, a violent patient killed another patient. The living can hear the cries and groans of this victim coming from this area.

b) Entities dressed in robes have been seen running across the grass in their bid to escape. (source)

For tips on how to improve your interior architecture shots, go to my post Interior Real Estate Photography: 5 Tips for Better Results.